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

New Haven County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	New Haven 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 New Haven County

Heating oil has become less popular in New Haven County. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 644,340 to 539,715, a 16.24% drop.

New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 399.19% increase from 2012, when only 371 homes had installed active solar heating.

New Haven County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, New Haven County homeowners purchased a total of 87 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

New Haven County Average Winter Temperature

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

New Haven County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For New Haven County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 431 heating oil companies that serve New Haven 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 2019 “full-service” oil companies that serve New Haven County. Full service companies such as Aaa Oil Company or J Thurston 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 New Haven 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 New Haven County include Boss Oil Co LLC and Angel Fuel LLC.

New Haven County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving New Haven County: 431 companies

Average Number Of New Haven County Homes Served Per Company: 273 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per New Haven County Oil Company: 201,230 gallons per year

New Haven County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

117,825 households in New Haven County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when New Haven County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

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

New Haven County Households	New Haven County Heating Oil Households
340,736	117,825

5,854 New Haven County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 87 million gallons of heating oil delivered to New Haven County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the New Haven County community relies on its 5,854 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 New Haven County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeyees in New Haven, CT and Buckeyewf in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in New Haven County.