Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Androscoggin County, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Androscoggin County homeowners is propane, used by 74,720 homes (12.99%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (53,649), wood (50,553), natural gas (46,832), and other fuels (16,018).

Androscoggin County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Androscoggin County Households	% of Households
Heating Oil	344,285	59.84%
Propane	74,720	12.99%
Electricity	53,649	9.33%
Wood	50,553	8.79%
Natural Gas	46,832	8.14%
Other Fuels	10,776	1.87%
No Fuel	2,221	0.39%
Solar	1,762	0.31%
Coal	1,259	0.22%

Heating oil (59.84)

Propane (12.99)

Electricity (9.33)

Wood (8.79)

Natural gas (8.14)

Other fuels (1.87)

No fuel (0.39)

Solar (0.31)

Coal (0.22)

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

Heating oil has become less popular in Androscoggin County. In the 8 years since 2014, the number of heating oil homes fell from 368,680 to 344,285, a 6.62% drop.

Androscoggin County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	399,528
2012	389,712
2013	378,400
2014	368,680
2015	359,172
2016	350,786
2017	345,775
2018	344,793
2019	344,403
2020	348,823
2021	345,156
2022	344,285

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

Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 42,849 to 74,720.

Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 30,124 to 46,832.

Electricity use for home heating in Androscoggin County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Androscoggin County. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 26,483 to 53,649, a 102.58% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Androscoggin 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, 1,762 homes in Androscoggin County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 298.64% increase from 2014, when only 442 homes had installed active solar heating.

Androscoggin County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Androscoggin County homeowners purchased a total of 19 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Androscoggin 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 Androscoggin County, the average outside temperature was 15.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Androscoggin County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	39.5° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	24.5° F

Androscoggin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Androscoggin County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 38 heating oil companies that serve Androscoggin 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 16 “full-service” oil companies that serve Androscoggin County. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Ness Oil Company 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 Androscoggin 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 Androscoggin County include Crowley Energy and Kennebec Energy LLC.

Androscoggin County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Androscoggin County: 38 companies

Average Number Of Androscoggin County Homes Served Per Company: 702 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Androscoggin County Oil Company: 504,204 gallons per year

Androscoggin County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

26,712 households in Androscoggin County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Androscoggin County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

61% of Androscoggin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Androscoggin County Households	Androscoggin County Heating Oil Households
43,599	26,712

348 Androscoggin County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 19 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Androscoggin County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Androscoggin County community relies on its 348 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 Androscoggin County, two of the closest terminals are Gulf in So. Portland, ME and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Androscoggin County.