South Down and Long BayFuel Buying Consortium
2026 Letter To Long Bay South Down/ Long Bay Owners
The War in Iran has caused a significant impact on petroleum-based products pricing and supply. Indirectly, it has also led to an increased pricing on Propane due to new demand from European countries unable to obtain LPG Gas from the Middle East. Propane fuel costs have increased nearly 40% since late February, but fortunately this is not the only component of our pricing. For our Heating Oil customers, this commodity is subject to a daily change due to the high amount of speculation over what is happening in Iran with this fuel component.
We have just published the 2026/2027 Dead River Heating Season Prices for South Down and Long Bay. You will find the new pricing agreement with Dead River on the respective South Down and Long Bay websites, and also attached to this communication. For new owners that are not already a Dead River customer you will find New Customer and Application forms also included. It is important that you begin setting up your pricing contracts with Dead River before June 26th, as pricing is very volatile right now due to the War in Iran, and Dead River will adjust pricing with market changes after this date.
Dead River has committed to offering continued savings over 5 years, and this is the 3rd year of that agreement. You will also note on the 2026 Dead River Proposal that they have added an option this year for owners to lock in their pricing for up to 3 years.
For those that are interested in comparing the significant savings we are enjoying through Dead River, please see the below average prices for NH just published by the NH Department of Energy.
NH Fuel Prices
Under the US Department of Energy's State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP), the New Hampshire Department of Energy monitors residential retail prices for heating oil and propane to determine the average prices for these fuels in New Hampshire. In addition to the federal SHOPP program, the Department also monitors gasoline, diesel fuel, electricity, wood pellet, and natural gas prices.
Current Statewide Average Petroleum Prices in NH (as of June 1,2026) published by the NH Department of Energy
- Regular Gasoline: $4.38 per gallon
- Heating Oil: $5.13 per gallon
- Propane: $3.91 per gallon
Next Steps
- Review the attached pricing proposal from Dead River for Propane and Heating Oil. Fixed Pricing is the best option as it avoids the increase in costs that occur over winter months. Decide whether you want to prepay the entire heating season (Sept 1 – May 31) to save $.05/gal OR pay monthly over the next 11 months (Jun 15 – April 15) to save $.03/gal.
- Contact Dead River Customer Service at 800-323-2353 to prepare your contract for 2026/2027. They will be able to advise you on past usage and what Plan you chose in 2025/2026 to generate your new contract.
Best Regards,
Dick Bordwell
703-626-8980
