Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Nantucket Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Nantucket, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Nantucket residents is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Nantucket 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 Nantucket
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Nantucket. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of residents using fuel oil fell from 674,937 to 555,640, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Nantucket
Between 2017 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 88,756 to 128,896, a 45% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 1,353,682 to 1,473,396, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Nantucket
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Nantucket. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 418,715 to 610,876, a 46% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Nantucket
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. As it stands today, 9,580 homes in Nantucket are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 172% gain from 2017, when 3,525 homes utilized active solar heating.
Nantucket County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Nantucket County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Nantucket’s overall heating oil usage changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Nantucket was 30.0°F, which was 4.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Nantucket County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.5° F |
Nantucket County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Nantucket homes heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Nantucket can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Nantucket. Full service companies such as Harbor Fuel Oil Corp or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Nantucket cash heating oil companies serving Nantucket include Apex Oil Co Inc and Sun Island Fuel Inc.
Nantucket Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Nantucket: 3 companies .
Average Number of Nantucket Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 185213
Nantucket Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 families in Nantucket heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Nantucket temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Nantucket homes rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
9.8% of Nantucket County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Nantucket County Households | Nantucket County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 5.6M | 555,640 |
3 Nantucket Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 582,115,838 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Nantucket residences during this past winter, the Nantucket community looks to its 3 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Nantucket, 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 Nantucket and the surrounding vicinity.
