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

Ulster County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Ulster 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 Ulster County

Heating oil has become less popular in Ulster County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,732,065 to 1,379,410, a 20.36% drop.

Ulster 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 Ulster County

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 261,912 to 371,184.

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,161,669 to 4,593,346.

Electricity use for home heating in Ulster County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Ulster County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 801,149 to 1,040,155, a 29.83% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Ulster 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 Ulster County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 152.75% increase from 2016, when only 3,348 homes had installed active solar heating.

Ulster County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Ulster County homeowners purchased a total of 17 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Ulster County Average Winter Temperature

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

Ulster County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Ulster County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 121 heating oil companies that serve Ulster 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 481 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ulster County. Full service companies such as Sunshine Oil & Fuels Inc or Erichsen's Fuel Service Inc Dependable Energy Services 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 Ulster 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 Ulster County include American Heating and Cooling and Aero Star Petroleum Inc.

Ulster County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Ulster County: 121 companies

Average Number Of Ulster County Homes Served Per Company: 294 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Ulster County Oil Company: 142,027 gallons per year

Ulster County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

35,661 households in Ulster County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Ulster County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

45% of Ulster County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Ulster County Households	Ulster County Heating Oil Households
77,579	35,661

1,670 Ulster County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 17 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Ulster County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Ulster County community relies on its 1,670 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 Ulster County, two of the closest terminals are Etmt in Kingston, PA and Buckeye in Roseton, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Ulster County.