Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Dukes Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host 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 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
Oil has become less frequently used in Dukes. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil fell from 690,548 to 555,640, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Dukes
Between 2015 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 79,528 to 128,896, a 62% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 1,306,073 to 1,473,396, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Dukes
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Dukes. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 403,279 to 610,876, a 51% 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. Currently, 9,580 homes in Dukes are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 466% gain from 2015, when 1,693 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 consumption fluctuates yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more 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 homes heating with fuel oil, selecting 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 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some 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: Fuel oil Companies Serving Dukes: 19 companies .
Average Number of Dukes Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 29244
Dukes Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 households in Dukes heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Dukes temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Dukes households are reliant on 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 residences during this past winter, the Dukes community depends 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 oil to homes and businesses throughout Dukes and the surrounding area.
