Portsmouth County Heating Oil Price History
Updated on December 14, 2025
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 12/13/2025 | $3.253 |
| 12/12/2025 | $3.252 |
| 12/11/2025 | $3.253 |
| 12/10/2025 | $3.260 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Portsmouth Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Electricity is the most common choice in Portsmouth, used by 1,825,006 or 52% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Portsmouth households is Natural Gas, used by 1,332,400 homes (38%). The rest of the homes are heated with Propane (5%), Heating Oil (3%), Wood (2%), and Other (0.3%).
Portsmouth County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Date | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15,988,660 | 1,915,485 | 21,899,762 | 1,123,136 | 865,966 | 23,284 | 125,938 |
| 2024 | 14,605,654 | 1,820,776 | 22,375,518 | 1,230,081 | 775,989 | 38,421 | 122,218 |
| 2023 | 13,283,884 | 1,729,557 | 22,777,383 | 1,335,905 | 688,962 | 52,525 | 118,320 |
| 2022 | 12,915,692 | 1,682,986 | 22,575,208 | 1,420,191 | 682,399 | 46,872 | 115,759 |
| 2021 | 12,903,130 | 1,657,435 | 22,048,979 | 1,510,640 | 723,004 | 31,071 | 115,992 |
| 2020 | 12,714,842 | 1,654,525 | 21,467,205 | 1,601,185 | 769,487 | 20,915 | 114,630 |
| 2019 | 12,548,580 | 1,653,391 | 20,958,491 | 1,677,385 | 820,728 | 15,466 | 111,178 |
| 2018 | 12,502,398 | 1,651,253 | 20,589,411 | 1,748,070 | 877,585 | 12,386 | 110,038 |
| 2017 | 12,448,883 | 1,661,390 | 20,242,133 | 1,824,233 | 922,432 | 10,558 | 109,420 |
| 2016 | 12,395,871 | 1,662,876 | 19,964,451 | 1,903,389 | 958,561 | 9,609 | 109,115 |
| 2015 | 12,358,050 | 1,643,577 | 19,646,650 | 2,006,400 | 986,692 | 8,661 | 108,677 |
| 2014 | 12,327,193 | 1,638,347 | 19,255,298 | 2,132,373 | 1,004,163 | 7,866 | 107,000 |
| 2013 | 12,301,431 | 1,644,610 | 18,908,171 | 2,273,889 | 1,004,814 | 6,545 | 100,991 |
| 2012 | 12,302,345 | 1,640,166 | 18,545,649 | 2,447,126 | 1,001,535 | 5,397 | 94,574 |
| 2011 | 12,344,431 | 1,663,845 | 18,117,180 | 2,645,134 | 990,470 | 5,176 | 90,659 |
| 2010 | 12,410,198 | 1,720,494 | 17,631,132 | 2,863,138 | 971,122 | 5,851 | 92,930 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Portsmouth
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Portsmouth. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of families using number two heating oil dipped from 203,962 to 93,607, a 54% drop.
Number of Households Using Heating Oil in Portsmouth County
| Date | Households |
|---|---|
| 2025-11-11 | 91,275 |
| 2025-11-10 | 91,283 |
| 2025-11-09 | 91,289 |
| 2025-11-08 | 91,295 |
| 2025-11-07 | 91,328 |
| 2025-11-06 | 91,339 |
| 2025-11-05 | 91,346 |
| 2025-11-04 | 91,361 |
| 2025-11-03 | 91,375 |
| 2025-11-02 | 91,391 |
| 2025-11-01 | 91,399 |
| 2025-10-31 | 91,399 |
| 2025-10-30 | 91,400 |
| 2025-10-29 | 91,401 |
| 2025-10-28 | 91,411 |
| 2025-10-27 | 91,428 |
| 2025-10-26 | 91,443 |
| 2025-10-25 | 91,458 |
| 2025-10-24 | 91,464 |
| 2025-10-23 | 91,471 |
| 2025-10-22 | 91,507 |
| 2025-10-21 | 91,514 |
| 2025-10-20 | 91,524 |
| 2025-10-19 | 91,531 |
| 2025-10-18 | 91,546 |
| 2025-10-17 | 91,554 |
| 2025-10-16 | 91,561 |
| 2025-10-15 | 91,602 |
| 2025-10-14 | 91,655 |
| 2025-10-13 | 91,662 |
| 2025-10-12 | 91,670 |
| 2025-10-11 | 91,685 |
| 2025-10-10 | 91,692 |
| 2025-10-09 | 91,697 |
| 2025-10-08 | 91,709 |
| 2025-10-07 | 91,745 |
| 2025-10-06 | 91,752 |
| 2025-10-05 | 91,770 |
| 2025-10-04 | 91,773 |
| 2025-10-03 | 91,793 |
| 2025-10-02 | 91,805 |
| 2025-10-01 | 91,815 |
| 2025-09-30 | 91,816 |
| 2025-09-29 | 91,818 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Portsmouth
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 136,717 to 159,652, a 17% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 1,025,229 to 1,332,400, a 30% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Portsmouth
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Portsmouth. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,545,509 to 1,825,006, a 18% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Portsmouth
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. As it stands today, 1,958 homes in Portsmouth are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 334% gain from 2012, when 451 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Portsmouth County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Portsmouth County homeowners purchased a total of 251,258 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Portsmouth’s overall heating oil use changes yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Portsmouth was 36.5°F, which was 2.2°F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Portsmouth County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 34.9° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.3° F |
Portsmouth County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Portsmouth families heating with oil, selecting which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Portsmouth plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Portsmouth. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Portsmouth cash heating oil companies serving Portsmouth include Bogue Oil and Griffin Oil & Propane.
Portsmouth Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Portsmouth: 6 companies .
Average Number of Portsmouth Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 77
Portsmouth Heating Oil Delivery Overview
289,829 families in Portsmouth heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Portsmouth temperatures drop as low as 37° F each winter. 2% of Portsmouth houses are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
1.07% of Portsmouth County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Portsmouth County Households | Portsmouth County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 43,323 | 464 |
6 Portsmouth Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 78,461,879.395 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Portsmouth homeowners during this past winter, the Portsmouth community relies on its 6 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Portsmouth, two of the closest terminals are Motiva in Fairfax, VA and Buckeye in Baltimore, MD. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Portsmouth and the surrounding region.
