Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Dukes Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Dukes, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Dukes households is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Dukes County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,473,396 | 128,896 | 610,876 | 555,640 | 29,010 | 9,580 | 23,565 |
| 2024 | 1,472,791 | 124,926 | 578,927 | 572,376 | 29,933 | 9,004 | 21,569 |
| 2023 | 1,413,104 | 137,540 | 556,235 | 615,564 | 28,805 | 6,958 | 25,447 |
| 2022 | 1,443,888 | 131,253 | 509,852 | 627,332 | 30,194 | 6,361 | 26,280 |
| 2021 | 1,411,895 | 129,599 | 492,336 | 649,036 | 30,651 | 5,807 | 21,455 |
| 2020 | 1,398,855 | 113,994 | 470,610 | 647,570 | 31,378 | 4,678 | 21,500 |
| 2019 | 1,385,815 | 98,388 | 448,883 | 646,103 | 32,105 | 3,549 | 21,544 |
| 2018 | 1,374,460 | 92,227 | 434,646 | 657,583 | 28,621 | 3,078 | 20,618 |
| 2017 | 1,353,682 | 88,756 | 418,715 | 674,937 | 34,421 | 3,525 | 19,989 |
| 2016 | 1,332,610 | 81,858 | 405,055 | 688,925 | 35,051 | 2,421 | 19,478 |
| 2015 | 1,306,073 | 79,528 | 403,279 | 690,548 | 38,927 | 1,693 | 20,120 |
| 2014 | 1,310,713 | 77,135 | 371,616 | 703,760 | 41,999 | 825 | 21,307 |
| 2013 | 1,265,878 | 81,306 | 371,400 | 740,917 | 47,009 | 1,432 | 17,553 |
| 2012 | 1,249,253 | 68,517 | 365,060 | 772,641 | 43,393 | 487 | 14,495 |
| 2011 | 1,242,643 | 65,582 | 354,007 | 806,422 | 40,356 | 893 | 13,919 |
| 2010 | 1,234,502 | 70,046 | 341,806 | 810,266 | 38,813 | 880 | 14,235 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Dukes
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Dukes. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of households using oil fell from 649,036 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Dukes
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 129,599 to 128,896, a 1% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 1,411,895 to 1,473,396, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Dukes
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Dukes. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 492,336 to 610,876, a 24% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Dukes
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Currently, 9,580 homes in Dukes are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 65% gain from 2021, when 5,807 homes had active solar heating.
Dukes County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Dukes County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Dukes’s overall fuel oil usage varies from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn additional fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Dukes was 30.0°F, which was 4.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Dukes County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.5° F |
Dukes County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Dukes residences heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 19 heating oil companies that serve Dukes is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 31 “full-service” oil companies that serve Dukes. Full service companies such as Star Oil Co or DeBross Hathaway Marvel Inc offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two 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 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 Dukes cash heating oil companies serving Dukes include Miami Heat Discount Fuel and Fuel Man Energy.
Dukes Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Dukes: 19 companies .
Average Number of Dukes Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 29244
Dukes Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 houses in Dukes heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Dukes temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Dukes homes are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
9.8% of Dukes County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Dukes County Households | Dukes County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 5.6M | 555,640 |
52 Dukes Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 582,115,838 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Dukes houses during this past winter, the Dukes community depends on its 52 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Dukes, two of the closest terminals are Sprague W in Springfield, MA and Buckeye in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Dukes and the surrounding region.
