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

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

Newport County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelNewport County Households % of Households
Natural Gas238,74254.26%
Heating Oil123,81328.14%
Electricity48,63311.05%
Propane20,4294.64%
Wood6,3161.44%
Other Fuels2,9060.66%
No Fuel2,2740.52%
Solar3680.08%
Coal1930.04%

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 Newport County

Heating oil has become less popular in Newport County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 128,844 to 123,813, a 3.90% drop.

Newport County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011157,426
2012153,479
2013147,768
2014142,612
2015137,451
2016132,040
2017128,844
2018125,460
2019122,583
2020121,062
2021122,289
2022123,813

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

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 11,518 to 20,429.

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 218,597 to 238,742.

Electricity use for home heating in Newport County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Newport County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 41,797 to 48,633, a 16.36% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Newport 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 Newport County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 260.78% increase from 2017, when only 102 homes had installed active solar heating.

Newport County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Newport County homeowners purchased a total of 12 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Newport County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2022 - 202344.8° F
Winter 2021 - 202237.6° F

Newport County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Newport County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 70 heating oil companies that serve Newport 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 39 “full-service” oil companies that serve Newport County. Full service companies such as Dudek Oil or Wildcat Oil Co 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 Newport 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 Newport County include Prout Comfort Solutions and American Home Heating & Air Conditioning.

Newport County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Newport County: 70 companies

Average Number Of Newport County Homes Served Per Company: 228 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Newport County Oil Company: 169,947 gallons per year

Newport County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

16,029 households in Newport County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Newport County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

44% of Newport County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Newport County HouseholdsNewport County Heating Oil Households
36,11316,029

367 Newport County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 12 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Newport County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Newport County community relies on its 367 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 Newport 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 Newport County.

More Newport County HVAC Resources