Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Lincoln County, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Lincoln 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).

Lincoln County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Lincoln 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 Lincoln County

Heating oil has become less popular in Lincoln County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 399,528 to 344,285, a 13.83% drop.

Lincoln 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 Lincoln County

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 36,804 to 74,720.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 23,459 to 46,832.

Electricity use for home heating in Lincoln County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Lincoln County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 25,204 to 53,649, a 112.86% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 442.15% increase from 2011, when only 325 homes had installed active solar heating.

Lincoln County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Lincoln County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Lincoln County Average Winter Temperature

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

Lincoln County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Lincoln County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 21 heating oil companies that serve Lincoln 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 5 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lincoln County. Full service companies such as MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC or Maritime Energy 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County include Boothbay Energy and Carter's Propane Service.

Lincoln County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Lincoln County: 21 companies

Average Number Of Lincoln County Homes Served Per Company: 437 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Lincoln County Oil Company: 313,686 gallons per year

Lincoln County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

9,184 households in Lincoln County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Lincoln County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

60% of Lincoln County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Lincoln County Households	Lincoln County Heating Oil Households
15,197	9,184

173 Lincoln County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 7 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Lincoln County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Lincoln County community relies on its 173 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 Lincoln County, two of the closest terminals are Gulf in So. Portland, ME and Citgo in Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Lincoln County.