Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Middlesex County, used by 1,462,335 or 52.38% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Middlesex 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).

Middlesex County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Middlesex 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 Middlesex County

Heating oil has become less popular in Middlesex County. In the 7 years since 2015, the number of heating oil homes fell from 746,949 to 663,749, a 11.14% drop.

Middlesex 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 Middlesex County

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 75,169 to 123,474.

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,278,152 to 1,462,335.

Electricity use for home heating in Middlesex County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Middlesex County. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 374,166 to 490,395, a 31.06% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 419.49% increase from 2015, when only 1,052 homes had installed active solar heating.

Middlesex County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Middlesex County homeowners purchased a total of 108 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Middlesex County Average Winter Temperature

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

Middlesex County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Middlesex County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 503 heating oil companies that serve Middlesex 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 4322 “full-service” oil companies that serve Middlesex County. Full service companies such as Firemans Fuel or Keohan Fuels & Transportation 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 Middlesex 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 Middlesex County include KEYES NORTH ATLANTIC INC and NETR Inc..

Middlesex County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Middlesex County: 503 companies

Average Number Of Middlesex County Homes Served Per Company: 243 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Middlesex County Oil Company: 213,893 gallons per year

Middlesex County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

122,676 households in Middlesex County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Middlesex County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

19% of Middlesex County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Middlesex County Households	Middlesex County Heating Oil Households
635,163	122,676

18,125 Middlesex County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 108 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Middlesex County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Middlesex County community relies on its 18,125 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 Middlesex County, two of the closest terminals are Gulf in Chelsea, MA and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Middlesex County.