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

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

York County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	York 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 York County

Heating oil has become less popular in York County. In the 2 years since 2020, the number of heating oil homes fell from 348,823 to 344,285, a 1.30% drop.

York 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 York County

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 64,578 to 74,720.

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 44,218 to 46,832.

Electricity use for home heating in York County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in York County. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 42,162 to 53,649, a 27.24% increase.

Solar use for home heating in York 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 York County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 42.56% increase from 2020, when only 1,236 homes had installed active solar heating.

York County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, York County homeowners purchased a total of 41 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

York County Average Winter Temperature

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

York County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For York County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 78 heating oil companies that serve York 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 159 “full-service” oil companies that serve York County. Full service companies such as Heatable or Garrett Pillsbury Plumbing & Heating 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 York 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 York County include Welch Oil Llc and Garthwaite Energy Inc.

York County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving York County: 78 companies

Average Number Of York County Homes Served Per Company: 736 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per York County Oil Company: 528,142 gallons per year

York County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

57,433 households in York County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when York County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

64% of York County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

York County Households	York County Heating Oil Households
88,731	57,433

1,193 York County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 41 million gallons of heating oil delivered to York County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the York County community relies on its 1,193 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 York County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in So. Portland, ME and Buckeye in South Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in York County.