Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Nantucket Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Nantucket, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Nantucket families is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Nantucket 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 Nantucket
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Nantucket. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of families using fuel oil declined from 657,583 to 555,640, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Nantucket
Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 92,227 to 128,896, a 40% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 1,374,460 to 1,473,396, a 7% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Nantucket
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Nantucket. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 434,646 to 610,876, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Nantucket
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. Now, 9,580 homes in Nantucket are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 211% gain from 2018, when 3,078 homes used 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 fuel oil use fluctuates annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 residences heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Nantucket can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Nantucket cash heating oil companies serving Nantucket include Apex Oil Co Inc and Sun Island Fuel Inc.
Nantucket Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Nantucket: 3 companies .
Average Number of Nantucket Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 185213
Nantucket Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 homes in Nantucket heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Nantucket temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Nantucket residences are reliant on fuel 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 Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 582,115,838 gallons of heating oil delivered to Nantucket families last winter, the Nantucket community looks to its 3 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 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 homes and businesses throughout Nantucket and the surrounding vicinity.
