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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Lamoille County, used by 108,499 or 41.06% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Lamoille County homeowners is natural gas, used by 50,127 homes (18.97%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (50,123), wood (35,629), electricity (19,788), and other fuels (7,814).

Lamoille County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelLamoille County Households % of Households
Heating Oil108,49941.06%
Natural Gas50,12718.97%
Propane50,12318.97%
Wood35,62913.48%
Electricity19,7887.49%
Other Fuels5,6922.15%
Solar1,0420.39%
No Fuel6190.23%
Coal4610.17%

Heating oil (41.06)

Natural gas (18.97)

Propane (18.97)

Wood (13.48)

Electricity (7.49)

Other fuels (2.15)

Solar (0.39)

No fuel (0.23)

Coal (0.17)

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

Heating oil has become less popular in Lamoille County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 119,422 to 108,499, a 9.15% drop.

Lamoille County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011128,566
2012124,072
2013119,422
2014117,459
2015114,826
2016111,441
2017111,092
2018110,704
2019108,976
2020110,870
2021108,747
2022108,499

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

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 38,281 to 50,123.

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 40,794 to 50,127.

Electricity use for home heating in Lamoille County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Lamoille County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 11,902 to 19,788, a 66.26% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Lamoille 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, 1,042 homes in Lamoille County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 547.20% increase from 2013, when only 161 homes had installed active solar heating.

Lamoille County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Lamoille County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Lamoille 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 Lamoille County, the average outside temperature was 16.1° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Lamoille County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2022 - 202333.6° F
Winter 2021 - 202217.5° F

Lamoille County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Lamoille County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 34 heating oil companies that serve Lamoille 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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lamoille County. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined 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 Lamoille 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 Lamoille County include Chartray Ref Inc Resdential and Corse Fuels.

Lamoille County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Lamoille County: 34 companies

Average Number Of Lamoille County Homes Served Per Company: 127 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Lamoille County Oil Company: 107,840 gallons per year

Lamoille County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

4,319 households in Lamoille County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Lamoille County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

39% of Lamoille County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Lamoille County HouseholdsLamoille County Heating Oil Households
10,9564,319

128 Lamoille County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 4 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Lamoille County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Lamoille County community relies on its 128 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 Lamoille County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in So. Portland, ME and Buckeye in South Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Lamoille County.

More Lamoille County HVAC Resources