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

Washington County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Washington 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 Washington County

Heating oil has become less popular in Washington County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 111,441 to 108,499, a 2.64% drop.

Washington 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 Washington County

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 39,658 to 50,123.

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 43,976 to 50,127.

Electricity use for home heating in Washington County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Washington County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 12,572 to 19,788, a 57.40% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Washington 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 Washington County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 247.33% increase from 2016, when only 300 homes had installed active solar heating.

Washington County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Washington County homeowners purchased a total of 10 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Washington County Average Winter Temperature

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

Washington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Washington County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 21 heating oil companies that serve Washington 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 18 “full-service” oil companies that serve Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County include YANKEE PLUMBING & HEATING INC and Country Heating & Cooling, Inc..

Washington County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Washington County: 21 companies

Average Number Of Washington County Homes Served Per Company: 545 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Washington County Oil Company: 462,792 gallons per year

Washington County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

11,448 households in Washington County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Washington County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

51% of Washington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Washington County Households	Washington County Heating Oil Households
22,407	11,448

145 Washington County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 10 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Washington County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Washington County community relies on its 145 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 Washington 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 Washington County.