Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common 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 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
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Essex. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using oil dipped from 688,925 to 555,640, a 19% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 81,858 to 128,896, a 57% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 1,332,610 to 1,473,396, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Essex. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 405,055 to 610,876, a 51% 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 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 296% gain from 2016, when 2,421 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 heating oil use varies from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more 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 heating oil, selecting which of the 176 heating oil companies that serve Essex makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 1231 “full-service” oil companies that serve Essex. Full service companies such as Keohan Fuels & Transportation Inc or Absolute Oil offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner 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 exchange for lower prices, you monitor the 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 Essex cash heating oil companies serving Essex include Edgemont Oil Llc and Maria's Oil.
Essex Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Essex: 176 companies .
Average Number of Essex Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 3157
Essex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 homes in Essex heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Essex temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Essex houses depend on number two heating 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 Trust
With 582,115,838 gallons of heating oil delivered to Essex residences during this past winter, the Essex community relies on its 2714 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Essex and the surrounding vicinity.
