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

Fuel	Hartford 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 Hartford County

Heating oil has become less popular in Hartford County. In the 8 years since 2014, the number of heating oil homes fell from 613,504 to 539,715, a 12.03% drop.

Hartford 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 Hartford County

Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 45,208 to 75,150.

Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 444,864 to 516,459.

Electricity use for home heating in Hartford County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Hartford County. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 208,309 to 244,511, a 17.38% 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 289.89% increase from 2014, when only 475 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 7.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Hartford County Average Winter Temperature

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

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

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

Hartford County Households	Hartford County Heating Oil Households
359,780	106,831

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.