Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Broome County, used by 4,593,346 or 59.99% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Broome County homeowners is heating oil, used by 1,379,410 homes (18.02%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (1,040,155), propane (371,184), no fuel (127,077), and other fuels (245,918).

Broome County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Broome County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	4.5M	59.99%
Heating Oil	1.3M	18.02%
Electricity	1.0M	13.59%
Propane	371,184	4.85%
No Fuel	127,077	1.66%
Wood	117,324	1.53%
Other Fuels	102,644	1.34%
Coal	17,488	0.23%
Solar	8,462	0.11%

Natural gas (59.99)

Heating oil (18.02)

Electricity (13.59)

Propane (4.85)

No fuel (1.66)

Wood (1.53)

Other fuels (1.34)

Coal (0.23)

Solar (0.11)

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

Heating oil has become less popular in Broome County. In the 7 years since 2015, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,819,152 to 1,379,410, a 24.17% drop.

Broome County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	2.1M
2012	2.0M
2013	1.9M
2014	1.9M
2015	1.8M
2016	1.7M
2017	1.6M
2018	1.5M
2019	1.5M
2020	1.4M
2021	1.4M
2022	1.3M

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

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 251,521 to 371,184.

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,122,437 to 4,593,346.

Electricity use for home heating in Broome County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Broome County. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 769,345 to 1,040,155, a 35.20% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Broome 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, 8,462 homes in Broome County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 223.59% increase from 2015, when only 2,615 homes had installed active solar heating.

Broome County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Broome County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Broome 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 Broome County, the average outside temperature was 5.7° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Broome County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	46.5° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	40.8° F

Broome County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Broome County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 11 heating oil companies that serve Broome 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 51 “full-service” oil companies that serve Broome County. Full service companies such as Scott Smith & Son Inc or Rapp Petroleum Corporation Economy Heating Lindsey Oil 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 Broome 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 Broome County include AJ Leto and Sons and Fancher Appliance Co.

Broome County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Broome County: 11 companies

Average Number Of Broome County Homes Served Per Company: 539 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Broome County Oil Company: 260,186 gallons per year

Broome County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

5,939 households in Broome County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Broome County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

7% of Broome County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Broome County Households	Broome County Heating Oil Households
76,729	5,939

139 Broome County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 3 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Broome County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Broome County community relies on its 139 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 Broome County, two of the closest terminals are Citgo in Vestal, NY and Buckeye in Vestal, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Broome County.