Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Putnam County Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Putnam County, used by 4,593,346 or 59.99% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Putnam 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).
Putnam County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Putnam 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 Putnam County
Heating oil has become less popular in Putnam County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,663,074 to 1,379,410, a 17.06% drop.
Putnam 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 Putnam County
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 274,348 to 371,184.
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,228,093 to 4,593,346.
Electricity use for home heating in Putnam County
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Putnam County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 820,554 to 1,040,155, a 26.76% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Putnam 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 Putnam County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 102.49% increase from 2017, when only 4,179 homes had installed active solar heating.
Putnam County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Putnam County homeowners purchased a total of 10 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Putnam 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 Putnam County, the average outside temperature was 5.7° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Putnam County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| Winter 2022 - 2023 | 46.5° F |
| Winter 2021 - 2022 | 40.8° F |
Putnam County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Putnam County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 133 heating oil companies that serve Putnam 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 246 “full-service” oil companies that serve Putnam County. Full service companies such as Action Fuel Oil Corp or People's 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 Putnam 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 Putnam County include Talon Heating & Cooling LLC and Robison Oil.
Putnam County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Putnam County: 133 companies
Average Number Of Putnam County Homes Served Per Company: 152 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Putnam County Oil Company: 73,376 gallons per year
Putnam County Heating Oil Delivery Overview
20,251 households in Putnam County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Putnam County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
58% of Putnam County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Putnam County Households | Putnam County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 34,746 | 20,251 |
773 Putnam County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 10 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Putnam County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Putnam County community relies on its 773 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 Putnam County, two of the closest terminals are Globalcar in Newburgh, NY and Global in Newburgh, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Putnam County.
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