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Central Maine Heating Oil Price Trends

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

Time HorizonPrice Change
1 Day Trend-$0.003
1 Week Trend-$0.017
1 Month Trend-$0.039
1 Year Trend-$0.102

Central Maine Heating Oil Price History

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

DateAverage Oil Price
10/21/2024$2.810
10/20/2024$2.810
10/19/2024$2.810
10/18/2024$2.810
10/17/2024$2.810
10/16/2024$2.810
10/15/2024$2.810
10/14/2024$3.000
10/13/2024$3.000
10/12/2024$3.000
10/11/2024$3.000
10/10/2024$3.000
10/09/2024$3.000
10/08/2024$3.000
10/07/2024$3.030
10/06/2024$3.030
10/05/2024$3.030
10/04/2024$3.030
10/03/2024$3.030
10/02/2024$3.030
10/01/2024$3.030
09/30/2024$3.030
09/29/2024$3.030
09/28/2024$3.030
09/27/2024$3.030
09/26/2024$3.030
09/25/2024$3.030
09/24/2024$3.030
09/23/2024$3.030
09/22/2024$3.030

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Central Maine Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Central Maine, used by 55,260 or 63.87% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Central Maine homeowners is wood, used by 11,256 homes (13.01%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (10,531), electricity (7,119), natural gas (2,783), and other fuels (1,785).

Central Maine Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelCentral Maine Households % of Households
Heating Oil55,26063.87%
Wood11,25613.01%
Propane10,53112.17%
Electricity7,1198.23%
Natural Gas2,7833.22%
Other Fuels1,2671.46%
Solar2600.30%
No Fuel1980.23%
Coal600.07%

Heating oil (63.87)

Wood (13.01)

Propane (12.17)

Electricity (8.23)

Natural gas (3.22)

Other fuels (1.46)

Solar (0.30)

No fuel (0.23)

Coal (0.07)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Central Maine

Heating oil has become less popular in Central Maine. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 63,824 to 55,260, a 13.42% drop.

Central Maine Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
201163,824
201262,207
201360,081
201458,600
201557,219
201655,212
201754,342
201854,762
201955,166
202055,978
202155,166
202255,260

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Central Maine

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,856 to 10,531.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 377 to 2,783.

Electricity use for home heating in Central Maine

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Central Maine. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 3,214 to 7,119, a 121.50% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Central Maine

Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.

Currently, 260 homes in Central Maine are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 2263.64% increase from 2011, when only 11 homes had installed active solar heating.

Central Maine Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Central Maine homeowners purchased a total of 247 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Central Maine’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Central Maine, the average outside temperature was 9.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Central Maine Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2023 - 202453.5° F
Winter 2022 - 202344.3° F

Central Maine Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Central Maine homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 39 heating oil companies that serve Central Maine is an important decision.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 3 “full-service” oil companies that serve Central Maine. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or undefined offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.

Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Central Maine homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Central Maine include Litchfield Fuel Co and O'Farrell Energy.

Central Maine Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Central Maine: 39 companies

Average Number Of Central Maine Homes Served Per Company: 1,416 homes

Central Maine Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 681,094 households in Central Maine heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Central Maine temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

67% of Central Maine Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Central Maine HouseholdsCentral Maine Heating Oil Households
1.0M681,094

39 Central Maine Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 247 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Central Maine homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Central Maine community relies on its 39 oil companies to keep warm.

Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Central Maine, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Bangor, ME and Pbt in Brewer, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Central Maine.