Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Windham Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Windham, used by 537,918 or 37% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Windham residents 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%).
Windham County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. 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 Windham
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Windham. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of families using number two heating oil dropped from 532,053 to 491,612, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Windham
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 80,721 to 88,504, a 10% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 506,772 to 537,918, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Windham
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Windham. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 258,306 to 302,730, a 17% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Windham
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Now, 6,488 homes in Windham are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 119% gain from 2021, when 2,966 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Windham County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Windham County homeowners purchased a total of 20 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Windham’s overall oil consumption changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Windham was 30.6°F, which was 4.6°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Windham County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 35.2° F |
Windham County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Windham homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 56 heating oil companies that serve Windham makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 395 “full-service” oil companies that serve Windham. 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 heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Windham cash heating oil companies serving Windham include Asi Oil LLC and Saveway Petroleum.
Windham Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Windham: 56 companies .
Average Number of Windham Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 8779
Windham Heating Oil Delivery Overview
491,612 homes in Windham heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Windham temperatures drop as low as 25.1° F each winter. 33.7% of Windham families rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
16.8% of Windham County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Windham County Households | Windham County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2.9M | 491,612 |
806 Windham Number Two Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 397,280,973 gallons of heating oil delivered to Windham houses last winter, the Windham community looks to its 806 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Windham, 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 residences and companies throughout Windham and the surrounding region.
