Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Nantucket Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Nantucket, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Nantucket households 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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Nantucket. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of residents using number two heating oil declined from 772,641 to 555,640, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Nantucket
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 68,517 to 128,896, a 88% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 1,249,253 to 1,473,396, a 18% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Nantucket
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Nantucket. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 365,060 to 610,876, a 67% 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. As it stands today, 9,580 homes in Nantucket are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1867% gain from 2012, when 487 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 oil use fluctuates yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of 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 residences heating with heating oil, picking which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Nantucket is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Nantucket. Full service companies such as Harbor Fuel Oil Corp or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace 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 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 heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Nantucket cash heating oil companies serving Nantucket include Apex Oil Co Inc and Sun Island Fuel Inc.
Nantucket Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Nantucket: 3 companies .
Average Number of Nantucket Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 185213
Nantucket Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 houses in Nantucket heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Nantucket temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Nantucket houses 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 582,115,838 gallons of heating oil delivered to Nantucket houses the last heating season, the Nantucket community depends on its 3 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Nantucket, two of the closest terminals are Sprague W in Springfield, MA and Buckeye in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Nantucket and the surrounding area.
