Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Time Horizon | Price Change |
---|---|
1 Day Trend | -$0.003 |
1 Week Trend | -$0.017 |
1 Month Trend | -$0.039 |
1 Year Trend | -$0.102 |
Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
10/21/2024 | $2.919 |
10/18/2024 | $2.919 |
10/17/2024 | $2.922 |
10/16/2024 | $2.928 |
10/15/2024 | $2.925 |
10/14/2024 | $2.940 |
10/11/2024 | $2.950 |
10/10/2024 | $2.936 |
10/09/2024 | $2.932 |
10/08/2024 | $2.933 |
10/07/2024 | $2.932 |
10/04/2024 | $2.916 |
10/03/2024 | $2.941 |
10/02/2024 | $2.938 |
10/01/2024 | $2.938 |
09/30/2024 | $2.938 |
09/27/2024 | $2.949 |
09/26/2024 | $2.950 |
09/25/2024 | $2.955 |
09/24/2024 | $2.950 |
09/23/2024 | $2.950 |
09/20/2024 | $2.960 |
09/19/2024 | $2.956 |
09/18/2024 | $2.959 |
09/17/2024 | $2.958 |
09/16/2024 | $2.967 |
09/13/2024 | $2.969 |
09/12/2024 | $2.969 |
09/11/2024 | $2.978 |
09/10/2024 | $2.981 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Maine, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Maine 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).
Maine Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Maine 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)
Heating oil has become less popular in Maine. In the 4 years since 2018, the number of heating oil homes fell from 344,793 to 344,285, a 0.15% drop.
Maine 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 |
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 55,460 to 74,720.
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 41,237 to 46,832.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Maine. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 34,834 to 53,649, a 54.01% 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, 1,762 homes in Maine are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 125.61% increase from 2018, when only 781 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Maine homeowners purchased a total of 247 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Maine’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 Maine, the average outside temperature was 10.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Maine Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 52.7° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 42.4° F |
For Maine homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 163 heating oil companies that serve Maine 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 19 “full-service” oil companies that serve Maine. Full service companies such as Alfred Oil or MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC 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 Maine 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 Maine include EMERY MILLS ENERGY INC and Integrity Oil.
Maine Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Maine: 163 companies
Average Number Of Maine Homes Served Per Company: 2,112 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Maine Oil Company: 1,515,006 gallons per year
Approximately 330,278 households in Maine heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Maine temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
59% of Maine Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Maine Households | Maine Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
552,674 | 330,278 |
163 Maine Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 247 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Maine homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Maine community relies on its 163 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 Maine, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Bangor, ME and Pbt in Brewer, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Maine.