Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Tolland Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Tolland, used by 537,918 or 37% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Tolland residents is Heating Oil, used by 491,612 homes (34%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (21%), Propane (6%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Tolland 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 Tolland
Fuel oil has become less popular in Tolland. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of families using number two heating oil dropped from 562,247 to 491,612, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Tolland
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 55,608 to 88,504, a 59% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 478,136 to 537,918, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Tolland
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Tolland. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 219,208 to 302,730, a 38% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Tolland
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. As it stands today, 6,488 homes in Tolland are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 531% gain from 2017, when 1,029 homes had active solar heating.
Tolland County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Tolland County homeowners purchased a total of 23 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Tolland’s overall oil usage fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Tolland was 30.6°F, which was 4.6°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Tolland County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 35.2° F |
Tolland County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Tolland homeowners heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 135 heating oil companies that serve Tolland plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 641 “full-service” oil companies that serve Tolland. Full service companies such as Ed's Garage Inc or HYBRID SERVICES LLC. offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Tolland cash heating oil companies serving Tolland include Amber Oil Inc and 1St Choice Fuel LLC.
Tolland Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Tolland: 135 companies .
Average Number of Tolland Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 3642
Tolland Heating Oil Delivery Overview
491,612 residences in Tolland heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Tolland temperatures drop as low as 25.1° F each winter. 33.7% of Tolland families are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
16.8% of Tolland County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Tolland County Households | Tolland County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2.9M | 491,612 |
1000 Tolland Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 397,280,973 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Tolland homes last winter, the Tolland community depends on its 1000 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 Tolland, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Sprague W in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Tolland and the surrounding area.
