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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Washington County Home Heating Fuel Comparison

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

Washington County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Washington 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 Washington County

Heating oil has become less popular in Washington County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 345,775 to 344,285, a 0.43% drop.

Washington 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 Washington County

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 52,707 to 74,720.

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 38,464 to 46,832.

Electricity use for home heating in Washington County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Washington County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 32,239 to 53,649, a 66.41% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Washington 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 Washington County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 180.13% increase from 2017, when only 629 homes had installed active solar heating.

Washington County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Washington County homeowners purchased a total of 439,687 gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Washington County Average Winter Temperature

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

Washington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Washington County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 1 heating oil companies that serve Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County include Vl Tammaro Oil Co Inc and undefined.

Washington County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Washington County: 1 companies

Average Number Of Washington County Homes Served Per Company: 613 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Washington County Oil Company: 439,687 gallons per year

Washington County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

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

68% of Washington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Washington County Households	Washington County Heating Oil Households
892	613

1 Washington County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 439,687 gallons of heating oil delivered to Washington County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Washington County community relies on its 1 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 Washington County, two of the closest terminals are Pbt in Brewer, ME and Buckeye in Bangor, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Washington County.