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

Washington County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Washington 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 Washington County

Heating oil has become less popular in Washington 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.

Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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.

Washington County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Washington County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Washington County Average Winter Temperature

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

Washington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Washington County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Washington 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 73 “full-service” oil companies that serve Washington County. Full service companies such as Gf Heating Oil LLC or Wever Petroleum Inc 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 Washington 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 Washington County include Sweet's Fuel Service Inc and John Ray & Sons.

Washington County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Washington County: 40 companies

Average Number Of Washington County Homes Served Per Company: 240 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Washington County Oil Company: 116,079 gallons per year

Washington County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

9,635 households in Washington County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Washington County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

37% of Washington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Washington County Households	Washington County Heating Oil Households
25,809	9,635

258 Washington County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 5 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Washington County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Washington County community relies on its 258 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 Washington County, two of the closest terminals are Apex in Rensselaer, NY and Buckeye in Albany, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Washington County.