Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Fairfield Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Fairfield, used by 537,918 or 37% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Fairfield families is Heating Oil, used by 491,612 homes (34%). The rest of the homes are heated with Electricity (21%), Propane (6%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Fairfield County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 537,918 | 88,504 | 302,730 | 491,612 | 19,550 | 6,488 | 10,689 |
| 2024 | 526,146 | 82,630 | 293,463 | 509,593 | 21,103 | 5,852 | 10,146 |
| 2023 | 530,315 | 92,469 | 276,839 | 496,091 | 19,885 | 4,238 | 15,392 |
| 2022 | 519,969 | 86,596 | 262,494 | 520,424 | 18,487 | 2,985 | 13,466 |
| 2021 | 506,772 | 80,721 | 258,306 | 532,053 | 22,992 | 2,966 | 14,306 |
| 2020 | 503,622 | 73,848 | 247,960 | 533,736 | 22,648 | 1,909 | 11,330 |
| 2019 | 500,471 | 66,974 | 237,614 | 535,420 | 22,304 | 852 | 8,355 |
| 2018 | 497,422 | 60,526 | 232,420 | 549,036 | 22,954 | 1,579 | 8,782 |
| 2017 | 478,136 | 55,608 | 219,208 | 562,247 | 24,510 | 1,029 | 10,257 |
| 2016 | 476,852 | 55,631 | 230,532 | 554,283 | 23,580 | 900 | 9,232 |
| 2015 | 471,195 | 51,915 | 214,414 | 561,996 | 29,530 | 937 | 8,159 |
| 2014 | 464,748 | 49,540 | 212,031 | 576,948 | 34,478 | 554 | 11,670 |
| 2013 | 449,787 | 46,397 | 209,463 | 585,757 | 29,361 | 401 | 10,236 |
| 2012 | 442,443 | 43,849 | 212,708 | 615,734 | 27,351 | 378 | 9,891 |
| 2011 | 437,840 | 43,778 | 207,267 | 625,164 | 25,707 | 611 | 7,588 |
| 2010 | 427,850 | 39,533 | 203,568 | 650,621 | 26,373 | 299 | 7,110 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Fairfield
Oil has become less frequently used in Fairfield. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of residents using fuel oil fell from 585,757 to 491,612, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Fairfield
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 46,397 to 88,504, a 91% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 449,787 to 537,918, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Fairfield
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Fairfield. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 209,463 to 302,730, a 45% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Fairfield
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. Today, 6,488 homes in Fairfield are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1518% gain from 2013, when 401 homes utilized active solar heating.
Fairfield County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Fairfield County homeowners purchased a total of 89 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Fairfield’s overall oil consumption varies yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Fairfield was 30.6°F, which was 4.6°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Fairfield County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 35.2° F |
Fairfield County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Fairfield homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 165 heating oil companies that serve Fairfield makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 1244 “full-service” oil companies that serve Fairfield. Full service companies such as Rural Energy LLC or L H Gault & Son offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Fairfield cash heating oil companies serving Fairfield include Affordable Heating & Fuel LLC and Elshaddai Oil Company.
Fairfield Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Fairfield: 165 companies .
Average Number of Fairfield Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 2979
Fairfield Heating Oil Delivery Overview
491,612 households in Fairfield heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Fairfield temperatures drop as low as 25.1° F each winter. 33.7% of Fairfield houses depend on oil delivery each winter.
16.8% of Fairfield County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Fairfield County Households | Fairfield County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2.9M | 491,612 |
2218 Fairfield Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 397,280,973 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Fairfield residences last winter, the Fairfield community depends on its 2218 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Fairfield, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Sprague W in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Fairfield and the surrounding area.
