Understanding Heating oil / ULSD prices
Raw materials and production
Diesel and heating-oil products come from refining petroleum fractions. Specifications control characteristics such as sulfur content and performance. A named grade and market area are necessary to identify the product represented by a quotation.
Applications and consumption
Transport, agriculture, construction equipment and heating consume middle-distillate fuels. Demand changes with freight activity, operating seasons and weather. Products used for heating or road transport can have different taxes and regulatory requirements even when their refining origins are related.
What affects Heating oil / ULSD prices?
Crude costs, refinery output, stocks, distribution charges and taxes affect final prices. Seasonal demand and refinery maintenance can change availability. An official local retail price and a futures-market quotation measure different transactions and should be compared with care.
How to read Heating oil / ULSD price today
This page follows Heating oil / ULSD in NYMEX. The price type is Futures contract, with values expressed in USD/gallon. Compare quotations only after matching the product specification, unit, market and publication period. Changes in the chart describe the recorded series; they do not measure every transaction in the wider market. A local purchase may include freight, processing, taxes or dealer margins. Differences in quality or delivery conditions can therefore produce a different final cost even when the reference price is unchanged.
The latest dated observation is the reference available on this page. Trading holidays or publication delays can leave the displayed date earlier than today; this is not a live tick feed.
Further reading: EIA — energy explained ↗
Frequently asked questions about Heating oil / ULSD
What is Heating oil / ULSD price today?
The latest available value is 4.72 USD/gallon, for 10/16/2026. It represents Futures contract. Check the displayed period and market before treating it as a quotation for a purchase today. The latest dated observation is the reference available on this page. Trading holidays or publication delays can leave the displayed date earlier than today; this is not a live tick feed.
What affects Heating oil / ULSD prices?
Crude costs, refinery output, stocks, distribution charges and taxes affect final prices. Seasonal demand and refinery maintenance can change availability. An official local retail price and a futures-market quotation measure different transactions and should be compared with care.
What is Heating oil / ULSD used for in everyday life and industry?
Transport, agriculture, construction equipment and heating consume middle-distillate fuels. Demand changes with freight activity, operating seasons and weather. Products used for heating or road transport can have different taxes and regulatory requirements even when their refining origins are related.
Why can local Heating oil / ULSD prices differ from this chart?
Local offers may include delivery, processing, taxes and commercial margins. Differences in quality, product form, market and contract timing can also change the price. Compare the same specification and unit before drawing conclusions.
Where can I compare historical Heating oil / ULSD prices?
Use the price chart and dated history table on this page, or download the CSV. Choose a period and keep the market, product and units consistent. Missing publication dates are not filled with invented observations.