New concerns arise for Northeasterners as heating oil prices spike
Amid the ongoing conflict with Iran and a turbulent energy market, diesel and gas prices are continuing to rise. Another commodity that is also experiencing a price spike? Heating oil.
by Summer Lane | September 18, 2026
It’s no secret that gas and diesel prices have shot through the roof, but as the conflict in the Middle East drags on, the price of heating oil is another point of concern for Americans who rely on it to stay warm during the long, frigid winter months.
According to the latest data, heating oil in the United States is currently at $5.82 per gallon as of Friday. This represents a 121 percent increase from the same time last year, and a 14 percent spike from just one month ago.
Heating oil in the Northeastern United States is famously used in furnaces or boilers to heat homes. It’s typically stored in on-site tanks and regularly filled via delivery trucks.
According to The New York Times, the price for heating oil in New York was $6.14 this week. Their report noted that more than 80 percent of America’s heating oil is used in the Northwestern U.S., representing over four and a half million households.
It’s unclear if this price spike will last through the entire winter, or whether costs will decline. It will probably depend entirely on whether the United States can wrap up the war with Iran – the conflict that has globally rattled the energy markets over the past six months.
It’s just one more problem for Americans to worry about as they face the upcoming holiday season. Data on Friday, via GasBuddy, found that the national average price per gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.47 per gallon, while diesel was $6.44 per gallon – and potentially on track to climb to $6.50 by the end of the day.
And, while murmurs on social media have abounded this week that diesel and fuel shortages are on the horizon for Americans, GasBuddy’s head analyst, Patrick De Haan, said that his agency’s data had not detected any supply issues.
“it’s not rare for some individual stations to run low/out of fuel temporarily,” he wrote on X. “some may not want to risk buying thousands of gallons amidst a spike, believing prices could drop, then they’re stuck with $$$ fuel. will always keep you informed.”
Photo: Adobe Stock
