Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Aroostook Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Aroostook, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Aroostook families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The rest of the homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Aroostook 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 Aroostook
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Aroostook. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of residents using oil dipped from 323,666 to 298,426, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Aroostook
Between 2023 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 84,744 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 51,811 to 53,178, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Aroostook
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Aroostook. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 79,160 to 92,432, a 17% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Aroostook
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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, 3,526 homes in Aroostook are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 65% gain from 2023, when 2,137 homes used active solar heating.
Aroostook County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Aroostook County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Aroostook’s overall oil usage fluctuates annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Aroostook was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Aroostook County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Aroostook County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Aroostook homeowners heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Aroostook can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 7 “full-service” oil companies that serve Aroostook. Full service companies such as Daigle Oil Company or Daigle Oil Company offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Aroostook cash heating oil companies serving Aroostook include DOC Daigle co and Dead River Company Llc.
Aroostook Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Aroostook: 5 companies .
Average Number of Aroostook Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 59685
Aroostook Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Aroostook heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Aroostook temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Aroostook households depend on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Aroostook County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Aroostook County Households | Aroostook County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
23 Aroostook Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Aroostook families last winter, the Aroostook community depends on its 23 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Aroostook, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Aroostook and the surrounding vicinity.
