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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Kent County, used by 238,742 or 54.26% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Kent 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).

Kent County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Kent 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 Kent County

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

Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 257.28% increase from 2013, when only 103 homes had installed active solar heating.

Kent County Heating Oil Trends

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

Short Term Trends

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

Kent County Average Winter Temperature

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

Kent County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Kent County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 96 heating oil companies that serve Kent 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 45 “full-service” oil companies that serve Kent County. Full service companies such as Micheletti Oil Services or Reichert & Sons Fuel 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 Kent 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 Kent County include Anthony's Oil LLC and Atlantis Comfort Systems Corp.

Kent County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Kent County: 96 companies

Average Number Of Kent County Homes Served Per Company: 234 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Kent County Oil Company: 174,264 gallons per year

Kent County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

22,541 households in Kent County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Kent County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

30% of Kent County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Kent County Households	Kent County Heating Oil Households
73,112	22,541

455 Kent County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 17 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Kent County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Kent County community relies on its 455 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 Kent 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 Kent County.