Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Electricity is the most popular choice in Middlesex County, used by 1,887,993 or 56.72% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Middlesex County homeowners is natural gas, used by 1,101,616 homes (33.09%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (153,698), heating oil (129,907), wood (65,453), and other fuels (41,045).
Middlesex County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Middlesex County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Electricity | 1.8M | 56.72% |
Natural Gas | 1.1M | 33.09% |
Propane | 153,698 | 4.62% |
Heating Oil | 129,907 | 3.90% |
Wood | 65,453 | 1.97% |
No Fuel | 24,314 | 0.73% |
Other Fuels | 12,489 | 0.38% |
Solar | 2,751 | 0.08% |
Coal | 1,491 | 0.04% |
Electricity (56.72)
Natural gas (33.09)
Propane (4.62)
Heating oil (3.90)
Wood (1.97)
No fuel (0.73)
Other fuels (0.38)
Solar (0.08)
Coal (0.04)
Heating oil has become less popular in Middlesex County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 154,885 to 129,907, a 16.13% drop.
Middlesex County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 228,988 |
2012 | 211,492 |
2013 | 195,333 |
2014 | 182,928 |
2015 | 171,696 |
2016 | 162,011 |
2017 | 154,885 |
2018 | 148,684 |
2019 | 141,997 |
2020 | 137,208 |
2021 | 128,923 |
2022 | 129,907 |
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 138,836 to 153,698.
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,034,770 to 1,101,616.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Middlesex County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,674,976 to 1,887,993, a 12.72% increase.
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, 2,751 homes in Middlesex County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 219.88% increase from 2017, when only 860 homes had installed active solar heating.
Short Term Trends
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 48° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 43.7° F |