Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Essex, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Essex families is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Essex 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 Essex
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Essex. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using oil declined from 647,570 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
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 ramped up from 1,398,855 to 1,473,396, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Essex. 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 Essex
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. Today, 9,580 homes in Essex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 105% gain from 2020, when 4,678 homes had active solar heating.
Essex County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Essex County homeowners purchased a total of 59 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Essex’s overall oil use changes annually correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Essex was 30.0°F, which was 4.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Essex County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.5° F |
Essex County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Essex families heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 176 heating oil companies that serve Essex is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 1231 “full-service” oil companies that serve Essex. Full service companies such as Keohan Fuels & Transportation Inc or Absolute Oil offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 homeowners who are looking to save money. 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. Some of the 2 Essex cash heating oil companies serving Essex include Edgemont Oil Llc and Maria's Oil.
Essex Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Essex: 176 companies .
Average Number of Essex Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 3157
Essex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 residences in Essex heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Essex temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Essex families depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
9.8% of Essex County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Essex County Households | Essex County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 5.6M | 555,640 |
2714 Essex Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 582,115,838 gallons of heating oil delivered to Essex homeowners last winter, the Essex community looks to its 2714 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Essex, 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 Essex and the surrounding vicinity.
