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

Fuel	Fairfield County Households	% of Households
Heating Oil	539,715	38.13%
Natural Gas	516,459	36.49%
Electricity	244,511	17.27%
Propane	75,150	5.31%
Wood	23,585	1.67%
Other Fuels	18,400	1.30%
No Fuel	9,314	0.66%
Solar	1,852	0.13%
Coal	865	0.06%

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 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 644,340 to 539,715, a 16.24% drop.

Fairfield County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	654,783
2012	644,340
2013	627,716
2014	613,504
2015	595,244
2016	581,382
2017	574,588
2018	565,439
2019	556,309
2020	551,817
2021	544,406
2022	539,715

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

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 40,762 to 75,150.

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 431,905 to 516,459.

Electricity use for home heating in Fairfield County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Fairfield County. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 205,724 to 244,511, a 18.85% 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 399.19% increase from 2012, when only 371 homes had installed active solar heating.

Fairfield County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Fairfield County homeowners purchased a total of 89 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Fairfield County’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 Fairfield County, the average outside temperature was 7.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Fairfield County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	44.5° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	37.3° F

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

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

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

Fairfield County Households	Fairfield County Heating Oil Households
354,425	121,397

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.