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

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

Orleans County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Orleans 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 Orleans County

Heating oil has become less popular in Orleans County. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 124,072 to 108,499, a 12.55% drop.

Orleans 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 Orleans County

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 37,813 to 50,123.

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 39,335 to 50,127.

Electricity use for home heating in Orleans County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Orleans County. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 11,675 to 19,788, a 69.49% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Orleans 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 Orleans County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 567.95% increase from 2012, when only 156 homes had installed active solar heating.

Orleans County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Orleans County homeowners purchased a total of 2,546 gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Orleans County Average Winter Temperature

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

Orleans County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Orleans County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 21 heating oil companies that serve Orleans 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 Orleans 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 Orleans 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 Orleans County include Ecoclim Inc and Qualite Aeration Inc.

Orleans County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Orleans County: 21 companies

Average Gallons Delivered per Orleans County Oil Company: 121 gallons per year

Orleans County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

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

25% of Orleans County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Orleans County Households	Orleans County Heating Oil Households
12	3

21 Orleans County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 2,546 gallons of heating oil delivered to Orleans County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Orleans County community relies on its 21 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 Orleans 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 Orleans County.