Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Bristol County, used by 1,462,335 or 52.38% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Bristol County homeowners is heating oil, used by 663,749 homes (23.78%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (490,395), propane (123,474), wood (34,021), and other fuels (50,956).

Bristol County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Bristol County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	1.4M	52.38%
Heating Oil	663,749	23.78%
Electricity	490,395	17.57%
Propane	123,474	4.42%
Wood	34,021	1.22%
Other Fuels	24,655	0.88%
No Fuel	19,283	0.69%
Solar	5,465	0.20%
Coal	1,553	0.06%

Natural gas (52.38)

Heating oil (23.78)

Electricity (17.57)

Propane (4.42)

Wood (1.22)

Other fuels (0.88)

No fuel (0.69)

Solar (0.20)

Coal (0.06)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Bristol County

Heating oil has become less popular in Bristol County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 723,433 to 663,749, a 8.25% drop.

Bristol County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	851,319
2012	827,983
2013	798,470
2014	770,791
2015	746,949
2016	723,433
2017	707,835
2018	690,486
2019	678,224
2020	667,484
2021	662,876
2022	663,749

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

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 78,533 to 123,474.

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,295,552 to 1,462,335.

Electricity use for home heating in Bristol County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Bristol County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 384,621 to 490,395, a 27.50% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Bristol 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, 5,465 homes in Bristol County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 306.02% increase from 2016, when only 1,346 homes had installed active solar heating.

Bristol County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Bristol County homeowners purchased a total of 50 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Bristol 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 Bristol County, the average outside temperature was 5.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Bristol County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	42.7° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	37.4° F

Bristol County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Bristol County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 257 heating oil companies that serve Bristol 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 533 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bristol County. Full service companies such as Ruggiero Bros Inc or Stateline Fuel & Burner Service 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 Bristol 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 Bristol County include SPAZIANI ELECTRIC and Peak Heating/Air Conditioning, Inc.

Bristol County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Bristol County: 257 companies

Average Number Of Bristol County Homes Served Per Company: 221 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Bristol County Oil Company: 194,116 gallons per year

Bristol County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

56,884 households in Bristol County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Bristol County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

24% of Bristol County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Bristol County Households	Bristol County Heating Oil Households
235,722	56,884

2,905 Bristol County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 50 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Bristol County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Bristol County community relies on its 2,905 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 Bristol County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in E. Providence, RI and Shell in Providence, RI. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Bristol County.