State Heating Oil and Propane Program

State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP) is a joint data collection effort between heating oil and propane consuming States across the United States and the U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). https://www.eia.

When winter comes, millions of American families rely on heating oil and propane to keep their homes warm. The State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP) is a vital public service that tracks the weekly price of these essential fuels, providing a clear, unbiased picture of what people are paying across the country. This program is not about setting prices, but about providing information. Through cooperative agreements, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) partners with state energy offices to collect residential heating oil and propane prices every week during the heating season (October through March). The EIA then publishes this data for free, bringing crucial transparency to the home heating market. This program serves two key groups: State Governments: SHOPP provides federal financial assistance to state energy offices. This funding supports their efforts to gather accurate, local price data directly from fuel retailers in their communities. The American Public: The ultimate beneficiary is you. The data we collect empowers everyone. Families can use it to understand heating costs and budget for the winter. Businesses can track market trends. Journalists, economists, and policymakers rely on this trusted information to make informed decisions that affect energy policy and assistance programs. What makes SHOPP unique is its federal-state partnership. This isn't a top-down federal program; it is a collaborative effort that leverages the local expertise of state energy offices to gather reliable, on-the-ground data. This cooperative structure ensures the information is both accurate and relevant to the communities being served. By providing a consistent, trusted, and publicly funded source for residential fuel prices, SHOPP cuts through market noise to answer one simple, important question: "What does it cost to stay warm?"

SHOPP is a joint data collection effort between States that consume heating oil and propane for residential heating purposes across the United States and the U.S. Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Beneficiaries are States and their agencies that have the resources to conduct the program, and whose residents consume heating oil and/or propane for residential purposes.

SHOPP provides State and Federal governments, the press, policy makers, consumers, analysts and others with up-to-date information on retail heating fuels prices during the heating season.

The assistance is available for expenditures made during the current award year up to 2 years after the end of the current grant year. Although they may be accessed for a time period after the award year, funds for each grant year may only be spent on program activities for that specific year.

An email expressing intent to apply should be sent to the survey manager prior to application for States which are not currently participating in SHOPP. The U.S. EIA may not be able to accommodate all requests for participation. No formal preapplication forms are necessary.

This award is a five-year cooperative agreement between EIA and the State. Every five years, applicants are required to fill out forms per OMB Circular A-102 and other forms as stated on EIA's website at: http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/heatingoilpropane/faq_stateofficials.cfm