When Is the Best Time to Buy Heating Oil?
From the Alcus family · Alcus Fuel Oil & Sons, Amityville · Updated October 31, 2026
"Should I wait for the price to come down?" is the question we hear most in the fall. The honest answer: nobody can reliably time the oil market. What you can control saves more money, more reliably, than guessing.
Today's COD cash price · Amityville 11701 · 150–199 gal
$5.159/gal cash
Card price $5.359/gal · price for October 30, 2026, before sales tax. Prices vary by ZIP and order size.
Why nobody can call the bottom
Our price is set each business morning from the wholesale (rack) price of heating oil at our local terminal. That wholesale price moves with the diesel and crude oil markets: world supply, refinery problems, inventories in the Northeast, the value of the dollar and the weather forecast. A cold snap in the forecast can push it up in a day; a mild week can bring it down. For more on what drives it, see what affects heating oil prices on Long Island.
What actually lowers your cost
| Choice | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Order at 1/4 tank, not at empty | You'll usually need 150+ gallons, which is a better per-gallon price than a small order. You also avoid a night emergency delivery and its fee. |
| Pay the driver cash | Cash is 20¢ a gallon less than our posted card price, every gallon, every day. |
| Order a bigger delivery | Per-gallon prices step down as the order gets bigger (new tiers start at 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500 gallons). See the price at every delivery size. |
| Burn fewer gallons | Thermostat setbacks, a yearly tune-up and lower hot water settings cut how much you buy at any price. See how to use less heating oil. |
When waiting costs you more
- Running low in a cold snap. Everyone orders at once, and phone calls, service-contract and automatic-delivery customers come first. A tank that hits empty can also mean a burner restart.
- Stretching with small orders. Several 50-gallon orders cost more per gallon than one 150+ gallon order.
- Waiting on a price drop that doesn't come. If you need oil in the next week or two, the price you'd save by waiting is rarely bigger than the 150+ tier and cash savings you already have.
A simple plan that works most years
- Check today's price for your ZIP when your gauge reads about 1/2. You can also see our past posted prices.
- Order by 1/4 tank. Choose "fill my tank" so you're in a good price tier and only pay for what's delivered.
- Pay the driver cash.
- Prefer steady monthly bills? Look at the budget plan. Need help paying? HEAP opens in November.
This page doesn't predict prices. Our price is set each business morning; your exact price for your ZIP and order size is shown before you order.
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Questions
When will heating oil prices drop?
Nobody can tell you for sure, including us. Heating oil follows the wholesale diesel and crude oil markets, which move every business day with world events, refinery outages, inventories and the weather. Be wary of anyone who promises a price is about to fall.
Is heating oil cheaper in the summer?
Sometimes, not always. Demand for heating oil is lowest in summer, but the price still follows the wider oil market, and some summers have been more expensive than the winter before. Filling up in late spring or summer does help in another way: a full tank over the summer means less condensation and water in the tank.
Can I lock in a heating oil price?
Not with us right now. Our budget plan spreads your heating cost into monthly payments, but it is not a fixed or capped price per gallon. Will-call (COD) customers pay the price of the day they order.
How often does your price change?
Our price is set once each business morning from the wholesale (rack) price at our local terminal. During the day it stays the same unless the office approves a change.