Pre-Buy Fuel, Lock In Summer Rates for Winter

PepUp Pre-Buy lets you buy winter propane at summer prices. You pay up front during the warm months. PepUp delivers those gallons through the cold season as needed. Pre-Buy gives Delmarva households a simple way to plan fuel costs before winter arrives.

Pre-Buy is a fuel pricing program from PepUp. You purchase a set number of gallons at the lowest summer rate. PepUp locks that price and delivers the fuel later in the season. The program covers propane, fuel oil, and dyed kerosene. It helps homeowners and businesses plan ahead, budget, and maintain steady, predictable fuel prices throughout the year.

Pre-Buy follows four steps.

1. Choose your fuel and gallons. Pick any amount at or above the 300 gallon minimum.
2. Pay up front. You lock in the summer rate for every gallon you buy.
3. Receive delivery through the following May. PepUp brings your fuel as your tank needs it.
4. Enroll by the end of the open enrollment period. Your Pre-Buy rate stays effective through the end of May.

The Pre-Buy window opens sometime when prices are lowest each summer (usually in July), and runs through September 30. You can enroll any time during the enrollment period. Customers who have previously enrolled in Pre-Buy receive the first notifications when the enrollment period opens.

Early enrollment secures the summer price before rates change.

Retail propane and fuel prices tend to climb during the heating season. Cold weather raises demand across the region. Higher demand pushes retail prices up.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) tracks this pattern each year. Its 2025-2026 propane pricing outlook projected that residential propane prices would only rise to $2.58 per gallon by March 2026. By the end of March, however, propane prices per gallon already averaged $2.67, nationwide. In our region, prices were about $1 per gallon higher.

The seasonal climb repeats most years, regardless of unanticipated pressure from other factors that affect fuel prices. Buying in summer lets you get ahead of all of it.

Pre-Buy delivers three main benefits:

• Price protection. You pre-pay for your estimated gallons of fuel for the year at current prices, no matter how much market rates fluctuate.
• Priority delivery. Pre-Buy customers move to the front of the delivery list when demand runs high.
• Peace of mind. Your winter fuel is paid for before the cold arrives, and demand increases.

Pre-Buy customers who use more gallons of fuel than they purchased can expect to pay the market rate for that fuel on their delivery date.

Unused Pre-Buy gallons don’t carry over into the next year. Customers who don’t use all of their Pre-Buy fuel by the end of the delivery period will get their remaining purchase refunded as an account credit. You can choose to leave it as a credit that applies to future fuel purchases, or you can request a refund.

Yes! Use Pre-Buy with PepUp Automatic Delivery for a set-and-forget option. PepUp tracks your usage and local weather. Our team dispatches deliveries from the gallons you already paid for.

Automatic Delivery is available to 30-day payment term customers. Cash on Delivery customers can enroll in Pre-Buy, but aren’t eligible for Automatic Delivery.

Pre-Buy covers three fuels for residential delivery customers, and those who don’t have large commercial or farm accounts:

• dyed kerosene,
• fuel oil, and
• propane.

Each fuel locks at its summer rate, based on when you sign up. If you need large-volume deliveries for your farm or business, contact your dedicated account representative to ask about signing up for Pre-Buy for the fuels you normally purchase.

Pre-Buy carries a few simple terms.

• Payment terms: Payment is required, in full, when you sign up
• Minimum purchase: 300 gallons
• Enrollment window: from enrollment start, through the end of September
• Rate effective: through the end of the following May
• Eligible fuels: dyed kerosene, fuel oil, and propane (plus other fuels for bulk, commercial delivery)

PepUp is a propane and fuel delivery company on the Delmarva Peninsula. PepUp has served Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia since 1963. PepUp is a Tri Gas Family Company, alongside Comfort Plus Services, Breeding Roll Off, and M&L Truck Service. Our team delivers propane, fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuels, and biodiesel blends to homes and businesses across the region.