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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Fairfield County Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Fairfield County, used by 539,715 or 38.13% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Fairfield County homeowners is natural gas, used by 516,459 homes (36.49%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (244,511), propane (75,150), wood (23,585), and other fuels (30,431).

Fairfield County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelFairfield County Households % of Households
Heating Oil539,71538.13%
Natural Gas516,45936.49%
Electricity244,51117.27%
Propane75,1505.31%
Wood23,5851.67%
Other Fuels18,4001.30%
No Fuel9,3140.66%
Solar1,8520.13%
Coal8650.06%

Heating oil (38.13)

Natural gas (36.49)

Electricity (17.27)

Propane (5.31)

Wood (1.67)

Other fuels (1.30)

No fuel (0.66)

Solar (0.13)

Coal (0.06)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Fairfield County

Heating oil has become less popular in Fairfield County. In the 4 years since 2018, the number of heating oil homes fell from 565,439 to 539,715, a 4.55% drop.

Fairfield County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011654,783
2012644,340
2013627,716
2014613,504
2015595,244
2016581,382
2017574,588
2018565,439
2019556,309
2020551,817
2021544,406
2022539,715

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Fairfield County

Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 55,429 to 75,150.

Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 481,116 to 516,459.

Electricity use for home heating in Fairfield County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Fairfield County. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 221,755 to 244,511, a 10.26% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Fairfield County

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, 1,852 homes in Fairfield County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 79.46% increase from 2018, when only 1,032 homes had installed active solar heating.

Fairfield County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Fairfield County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 272 heating oil companies that serve Fairfield County 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 1198 “full-service” oil companies that serve Fairfield County. Full service companies such as Rural Energy LLC or L H Gault & Son 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 Fairfield County 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 Fairfield County include ROJAS HVAC LLC and McK Heating and Cooling LLC.

Fairfield County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Fairfield County: 272 companies

Average Number Of Fairfield County Homes Served Per Company: 446 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Fairfield County Oil Company: 328,527 gallons per year

Fairfield County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 121,397 households in Fairfield County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Fairfield County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

34% of Fairfield County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Fairfield County HouseholdsFairfield County Heating Oil Households
354,425121,397

4,562 Fairfield County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 89 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Fairfield County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Fairfield County community relies on its 4,562 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 Fairfield County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and Westmore in Mt. Vernon, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Fairfield County.

More Fairfield County HVAC Resources