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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Bristol County, used by 238,742 or 54.26% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Bristol County homeowners is heating oil, used by 123,813 homes (28.14%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (48,633), propane (20,429), wood (6,316), and other fuels (5,741).

Bristol County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Bristol County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	238,742	54.26%
Heating Oil	123,813	28.14%
Electricity	48,633	11.05%
Propane	20,429	4.64%
Wood	6,316	1.44%
Other Fuels	2,906	0.66%
No Fuel	2,274	0.52%
Solar	368	0.08%
Coal	193	0.04%

Natural gas (54.26)

Heating oil (28.14)

Electricity (11.05)

Propane (4.64)

Wood (1.44)

Other fuels (0.66)

No fuel (0.52)

Solar (0.08)

Coal (0.04)

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

Heating oil has become less popular in Bristol County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 147,768 to 123,813, a 16.21% drop.

Bristol County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	157,426
2012	153,479
2013	147,768
2014	142,612
2015	137,451
2016	132,040
2017	128,844
2018	125,460
2019	122,583
2020	121,062
2021	122,289
2022	123,813

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

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 8,584 to 20,429.

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 207,902 to 238,742.

Electricity use for home heating in Bristol County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Bristol County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 35,965 to 48,633, a 35.22% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Bristol 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, 368 homes in Bristol County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 257.28% increase from 2013, when only 103 homes had installed active solar heating.

Bristol County Heating Oil Trends

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

Short Term Trends

Bristol 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 Bristol County, the average outside temperature was 7.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Bristol County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	44.8° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	37.6° F

Bristol County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Bristol County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 90 heating oil companies that serve Bristol 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 34 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bristol County. Full service companies such as Micheletti Oil Services or Dudek 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 Bristol 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 Bristol County include Anthony's Oil LLC and Atlantis Comfort Systems Corp.

Bristol County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Bristol County: 90 companies

Average Number Of Bristol County Homes Served Per Company: 67 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Bristol County Oil Company: 50,410 gallons per year

Bristol County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

6,113 households in Bristol County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Bristol County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

31% of Bristol County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Bristol County Households	Bristol County Heating Oil Households
19,595	6,113

254 Bristol County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 5 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Bristol County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Bristol County community relies on its 254 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 Bristol County, two of the closest terminals are Shell in Providence, RI and Sprague in Providence, RI. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Bristol County.