Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Dukes Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Dukes, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Dukes residents is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Dukes County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number 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
Oil has become losing popularity in Dukes. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of homeowners using oil dropped from 646,103 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Dukes
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 98,388 to 128,896, a 31% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 1,385,815 to 1,473,396, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Dukes
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Dukes. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 448,883 to 610,876, a 36% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Dukes
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, 9,580 homes in Dukes are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 170% gain from 2019, when 3,549 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 heating oil use varies each 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 the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 homeowners heating with oil, picking which of the 19 heating oil companies that serve Dukes plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Dukes cash heating oil companies serving Dukes include Miami Heat Discount Fuel and Fuel Man Energy.
Dukes Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Dukes: 19 companies .
Average Number of Dukes Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 29244
Dukes Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 households 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 582,115,838 gallons of oil delivered to Dukes houses last winter, the Dukes community depends on its 52 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Dukes, two of the closest terminals are Sprague W in Springfield, MA and Buckeye in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Dukes and the surrounding vicinity.
