Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Allegany County, used by 1,036,714 or 43.77% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Allegany County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,018,912 homes (43.02%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (178,203), propane (89,874), wood (27,892), and other fuels (45,552).
Allegany County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Allegany County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 1.0M | 43.77% |
Electricity | 1.0M | 43.02% |
Heating Oil | 178,203 | 7.52% |
Propane | 89,874 | 3.79% |
Wood | 27,892 | 1.18% |
No Fuel | 18,911 | 0.80% |
Other Fuels | 16,016 | 0.68% |
Solar | 9,098 | 0.38% |
Coal | 1,527 | 0.06% |
Natural gas (43.77)
Electricity (43.02)
Heating oil (7.52)
Propane (3.79)
Wood (1.18)
No fuel (0.80)
Other fuels (0.68)
Solar (0.38)
Coal (0.06)
Heating oil has become less popular in Allegany County. In the 8 years since 2014, the number of heating oil homes fell from 222,212 to 178,203, a 19.80% drop.
Allegany County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 246,964 |
2012 | 239,039 |
2013 | 228,525 |
2014 | 222,212 |
2015 | 212,903 |
2016 | 207,818 |
2017 | 201,205 |
2018 | 193,194 |
2019 | 186,662 |
2020 | 179,727 |
2021 | 176,310 |
2022 | 178,203 |
Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 68,303 to 89,874.
Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 960,261 to 1,036,714.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Allegany County. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 855,310 to 1,018,912, a 19.13% 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, 9,098 homes in Allegany County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1358.01% increase from 2014, when only 624 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Allegany County homeowners purchased a total of 839,045 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Allegany 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 Allegany County, the average outside temperature was 3.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Allegany County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 49° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 46° F |
For Allegany County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Allegany 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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Allegany County. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined 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 Allegany 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 Allegany County include GRIFFITH HEATING & COOLING, INC. and Willison Oil Inc.
Allegany County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Allegany County: 3 companies
Average Number Of Allegany County Homes Served Per Company: 542 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Allegany County Oil Company: 279,681 gallons per year
1,628 households in Allegany County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Allegany County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
9% of Allegany County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Allegany County Households | Allegany County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
17,668 | 1,628 |
3 Allegany County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 839,045 gallons of heating oil delivered to Allegany County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Allegany County community relies on its 3 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 Allegany County, two of the closest terminals are Lucknow in El Dorado, PA and Etmt in Altoona, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Allegany County.