Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Androscoggin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Androscoggin, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Androscoggin families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Androscoggin County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 53,178 | 101,382 | 92,432 | 298,426 | 65,496 | 3,526 | 9,422 |
| 2024 | 51,248 | 98,171 | 83,361 | 309,159 | 59,610 | 3,144 | 8,226 |
| 2023 | 51,811 | 84,744 | 79,160 | 323,666 | 57,999 | 2,137 | 12,767 |
| 2022 | 48,991 | 84,304 | 63,901 | 339,456 | 51,998 | 1,704 | 11,224 |
| 2021 | 47,952 | 78,322 | 61,019 | 345,133 | 46,227 | 1,374 | 10,375 |
| 2020 | 46,351 | 73,782 | 54,514 | 345,001 | 50,077 | 1,210 | 9,402 |
| 2019 | 44,750 | 69,241 | 48,008 | 344,869 | 53,927 | 1,047 | 8,428 |
| 2018 | 44,328 | 61,194 | 41,759 | 355,904 | 54,843 | 1,169 | 8,683 |
| 2017 | 41,841 | 61,816 | 36,406 | 331,541 | 54,454 | 1,228 | 10,328 |
| 2016 | 41,879 | 52,621 | 33,543 | 333,900 | 55,290 | 312 | 11,584 |
| 2015 | 37,624 | 50,511 | 35,138 | 336,337 | 70,767 | 604 | 11,270 |
| 2014 | 37,608 | 48,027 | 28,040 | 342,185 | 78,214 | 451 | 11,692 |
| 2013 | 31,836 | 45,601 | 28,747 | 351,842 | 76,707 | 486 | 9,827 |
| 2012 | 28,621 | 41,477 | 23,260 | 374,110 | 76,225 | 635 | 6,995 |
| 2011 | 27,427 | 42,224 | 24,723 | 379,409 | 68,055 | 307 | 6,480 |
| 2010 | 23,135 | 36,617 | 27,813 | 384,021 | 65,520 | 446 | 5,177 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Androscoggin
Fuel oil has become less popular in Androscoggin. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of households using number two heating oil dropped from 345,133 to 298,426, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Androscoggin
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 78,322 to 101,382, a 29% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 47,952 to 53,178, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Androscoggin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Androscoggin. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 61,019 to 92,432, a 51% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Androscoggin
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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, 3,526 homes in Androscoggin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 157% gain from 2021, when 1,374 homes utilized active solar heating.
Androscoggin County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Androscoggin County homeowners purchased a total of 19 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Androscoggin’s overall number two heating oil consumption fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Androscoggin was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Androscoggin County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Androscoggin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Androscoggin residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 21 heating oil companies that serve Androscoggin 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 select one of the 16 “full-service” oil companies that serve Androscoggin. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Ness Oil Company offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 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 when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Androscoggin cash heating oil companies serving Androscoggin include Crowley Energy and Kennebec Energy LLC.
Androscoggin Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Androscoggin: 21 companies .
Average Number of Androscoggin Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 14211
Androscoggin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 families in Androscoggin heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Androscoggin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Androscoggin houses depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Androscoggin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Androscoggin County Households | Androscoggin County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
155 Androscoggin Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Androscoggin families last winter, the Androscoggin community depends on its 155 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 Androscoggin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Androscoggin and the surrounding vicinity.