Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Dukes Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families 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 residents is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The rest of the 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
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Dukes. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of families using heating oil dropped from 772,641 to 555,640, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Dukes
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 68,517 to 128,896, a 88% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 1,249,253 to 1,473,396, a 18% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Dukes
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Dukes. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 365,060 to 610,876, a 67% 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 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. As it stands today, 9,580 homes in Dukes are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1867% gain from 2012, when 487 homes used 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 consumption varies yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more number two heating 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 residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 19 heating oil companies that serve Dukes makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 fuel 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 household does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: also referred to as “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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Dukes cash heating oil companies serving Dukes include Miami Heat Discount Fuel and Fuel Man Energy.
Dukes Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Dukes: 19 companies .
Average Number of Dukes Houses 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 residences rely 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 Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 582,115,838 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Dukes households last winter, the Dukes community relies on its 52 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Dukes and the surrounding region.
