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

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

Litchfield County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Litchfield 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 Litchfield County

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

Litchfield 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 Litchfield 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 Litchfield County

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

Litchfield County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Litchfield County homeowners purchased a total of 31 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Litchfield County Average Winter Temperature

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

Litchfield County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Litchfield County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 296 heating oil companies that serve Litchfield 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 1136 “full-service” oil companies that serve Litchfield County. Full service companies such as Nelson Oil or Patterson Oil Co 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 Litchfield 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 Litchfield County include Boss Oil Co LLC and 20/20 Air Mechanical Corp.

Litchfield County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Litchfield County: 296 companies

Average Number Of Litchfield County Homes Served Per Company: 143 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Litchfield County Oil Company: 105,686 gallons per year

Litchfield County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

42,499 households in Litchfield County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Litchfield County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

55% of Litchfield County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Litchfield County Households	Litchfield County Heating Oil Households
76,527	42,499

3,617 Litchfield County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 31 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Litchfield County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Litchfield County community relies on its 3,617 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 Litchfield County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Buckeyees in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Litchfield County.