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

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Orange County, used by 108,499 or 41.06% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Orange 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).

Orange County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Orange County Households	% of Households
Heating Oil	108,499	41.06%
Natural Gas	50,127	18.97%
Propane	50,123	18.97%
Wood	35,629	13.48%
Electricity	19,788	7.49%
Other Fuels	5,692	2.15%
Solar	1,042	0.39%
No Fuel	619	0.23%
Coal	461	0.17%

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 Orange County

Heating oil has become less popular in Orange County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 128,566 to 108,499, a 15.61% drop.

Orange County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	128,566
2012	124,072
2013	119,422
2014	117,459
2015	114,826
2016	111,441
2017	111,092
2018	110,704
2019	108,976
2020	110,870
2021	108,747
2022	108,499

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

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 37,846 to 50,123.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 38,655 to 50,127.

Electricity use for home heating in Orange County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Orange County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 11,237 to 19,788, a 76.10% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Orange 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 Orange County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 775.63% increase from 2011, when only 119 homes had installed active solar heating.

Orange County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Orange County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Orange County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	33.6° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	17.5° F

Orange County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Orange County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Orange 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 7 “full-service” oil companies that serve Orange County. Full service companies such as Packard Fuels or Packard Fuels 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 Orange 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 Orange County include Country Heating & Cooling, Inc. and Vermont Fuel Efficiency.

Orange County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Orange County: 7 companies

Average Number Of Orange County Homes Served Per Company: 202 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Orange County Oil Company: 171,970 gallons per year

Orange County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

1,418 households in Orange County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Orange County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

42% of Orange County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Orange County Households	Orange County Heating Oil Households
3,314	1,418

38 Orange County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 1 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Orange County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Orange County community relies on its 38 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 Orange County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Orange County.