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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Clinton County, used by 4,593,346 or 59.99% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Clinton 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).

Clinton County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelClinton County Households % of Households
Natural Gas4.5M59.99%
Heating Oil1.3M18.02%
Electricity1.0M13.59%
Propane371,1844.85%
No Fuel127,0771.66%
Wood117,3241.53%
Other Fuels102,6441.34%
Coal17,4880.23%
Solar8,4620.11%

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 Clinton County

Heating oil has become less popular in Clinton County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 2,173,711 to 1,379,410, a 36.54% drop.

Clinton County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
20112.1M
20122.0M
20131.9M
20141.9M
20151.8M
20161.7M
20171.6M
20181.5M
20191.5M
20201.4M
20211.4M
20221.3M

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

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 224,689 to 371,184.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,908,626 to 4,593,346.

Electricity use for home heating in Clinton County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Clinton County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 653,872 to 1,040,155, a 59.08% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Clinton 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 Clinton County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 403.69% increase from 2011, when only 1,680 homes had installed active solar heating.

Clinton County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Clinton County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Clinton County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2022 - 202346.5° F
Winter 2021 - 202240.8° F

Clinton County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Clinton County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Clinton 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 7 “full-service” oil companies that serve Clinton County. Full service companies such as Leroux Enterprises LLC or Leroux Enterprises 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 Clinton 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 Clinton County include All About Heating and Air Condition and Au Sable Valley Fuel Incorporated Gordon Oil.

Clinton County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Clinton County: 5 companies

Average Number Of Clinton County Homes Served Per Company: 1,839 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Clinton County Oil Company: 886,325 gallons per year

Clinton County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

9,196 households in Clinton County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Clinton County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

34% of Clinton County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Clinton County HouseholdsClinton County Heating Oil Households
26,9849,196

33 Clinton County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 4 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Clinton County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Clinton County community relies on its 33 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 Clinton County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Marcy, NY and Sunoco in Marcy, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Clinton County.

More Clinton County HVAC Resources