Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Androscoggin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host 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 residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Androscoggin residents is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Androscoggin County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number 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 losing popularity in Androscoggin. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of families using number two heating oil fell from 339,456 to 298,426, a 12% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Androscoggin
Between 2022 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 84,304 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 48,991 to 53,178, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Androscoggin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Androscoggin. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 63,901 to 92,432, a 45% 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. Today, 3,526 homes in Androscoggin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 107% gain from 2022, when 1,704 homes had 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 as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 homes heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 21 heating oil companies that serve Androscoggin is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 16 “full-service” oil companies that serve Androscoggin. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Ness Oil Company offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Androscoggin cash heating oil companies serving Androscoggin include Crowley Energy and Kennebec Energy LLC.
Androscoggin Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Androscoggin: 21 companies .
Average Number of Androscoggin Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 14211
Androscoggin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Androscoggin heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Androscoggin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Androscoggin families rely 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 Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Androscoggin houses during this past winter, the Androscoggin community depends on its 155 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Androscoggin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Androscoggin and the surrounding region.