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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Hartford County, used by 539,715 or 38.13% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Hartford 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).

Hartford County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelHartford 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 Hartford County

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

Hartford 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 Hartford 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 Hartford County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Hartford 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 Hartford 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 Hartford 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.

Hartford County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Hartford County homeowners purchased a total of 79 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Hartford 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 Hartford County, the average outside temperature was 16.9° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Hartford County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2023 - 202467° F
Winter 2022 - 202350.1° F

Hartford County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Hartford County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 393 heating oil companies that serve Hartford 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 3212 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hartford County. Full service companies such as Aaa Oil Company or Spring Brook Ice & Fuel 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 Hartford 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 Hartford County include mountain air and Service Relief.

Hartford County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Hartford County: 393 companies

Average Number Of Hartford County Homes Served Per Company: 271 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Hartford County Oil Company: 200,095 gallons per year

Hartford County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 106,831 households in Hartford County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hartford County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

29% of Hartford County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Hartford County HouseholdsHartford County Heating Oil Households
359,780106,831

8,617 Hartford County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 79 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Hartford County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Hartford County community relies on its 8,617 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 Hartford County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Sprague W in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Hartford County.

More Hartford County HVAC Resources