Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Hampden County, used by 1,462,335 or 52.38% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Hampden 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).
Hampden County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Hampden 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)
Heating oil has become less popular in Hampden County. In the 3 years since 2019, the number of heating oil homes fell from 678,224 to 663,749, a 2.13% drop.
Hampden 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 |
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 88,827 to 123,474.
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,355,599 to 1,462,335.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Hampden County. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 421,582 to 490,395, a 16.32% increase.
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 Hampden County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 82.59% increase from 2019, when only 2,993 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Hampden County homeowners purchased a total of 37 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Hampden 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 Hampden County, the average outside temperature was 5.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Hampden County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 42.7° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 37.4° F |
For Hampden County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 126 heating oil companies that serve Hampden 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 527 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hampden County. Full service companies such as Richard's Fuel & Heating Inc or Fuel Services Inc 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 Hampden 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 Hampden County include GREEN COLLAR LLC and Deblok Heating & Cooling / East Longmeadow.
Hampden County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Hampden County: 126 companies
Average Number Of Hampden County Homes Served Per Company: 336 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Hampden County Oil Company: 294,752 gallons per year
42,347 households in Hampden County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Hampden County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
22% of Hampden County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Hampden County Households | Hampden County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
186,249 | 42,347 |
1,867 Hampden County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 37 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Hampden County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Hampden County community relies on its 1,867 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 Hampden County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Springfield, MA and Buckeye in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Hampden County.