Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice 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 homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Essex 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%).
Essex 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 Essex
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Essex. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using fuel oil fell from 646,103 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
Between 2019 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Essex. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 448,883 to 610,876, a 36% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Essex
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. Today, 9,580 homes in Essex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 170% gain from 2019, when 3,549 homes incorporated 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 consumption changes from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 homes heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 176 heating oil companies that serve Essex plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1231 “full-service” oil companies that serve Essex. Full service companies such as Keohan Fuels & Transportation Inc or Absolute Oil offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic 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 customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “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 fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Essex cash heating oil companies serving Essex include Edgemont Oil Llc and Maria's Oil.
Essex Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Essex: 176 companies .
Average Number of Essex Households Served per Heating Oil company : 3157
Essex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 households in Essex heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Essex temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Essex families are reliant 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 582,115,838 gallons of oil delivered to Essex homes during this past winter, the Essex community looks to its 2714 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: 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 area.
