Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Dukes Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Dukes, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of residents. The next 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 less popular in Dukes. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 647,570 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Dukes
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 113,994 to 128,896, a 13% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 1,398,855 to 1,473,396, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Dukes
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Dukes. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 470,610 to 610,876, a 30% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Dukes
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. Currently, 9,580 homes in Dukes are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 105% gain from 2020, when 4,678 homes utilized 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 fluctuates annually correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems 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 households heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 19 heating oil companies that serve Dukes can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating 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 household 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Dukes cash heating oil companies serving Dukes include Miami Heat Discount Fuel and Fuel Man Energy.
Dukes Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Dukes: 19 companies .
Average Number of Dukes Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 29244
Dukes Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 residences in Dukes heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Dukes temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Dukes houses are reliant on fuel 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 582,115,838 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Dukes homes last winter, the Dukes community relies on its 52 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 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 homes and businesses throughout Dukes and the surrounding area.
