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Cities In Maine with Local Oil Prices

Maine Heating Oil Price Trends

Updated on December 20, 2024 at 12:00 AM

Time HorizonPrice Change
1 Week Trend+$0.002
1 Month Trend+$0.106
1 Year Trend-$0.134

Maine Heating Oil Price History

Updated on December 20, 2024 at 12:00 AM

DateAverage Oil Price
12/20/2024$2.953
12/19/2024$2.952
12/18/2024$2.948
12/17/2024$2.944
12/16/2024$2.951
12/13/2024$2.950
12/12/2024$2.950
12/11/2024$2.926
12/10/2024$2.892
12/09/2024$2.871
12/06/2024$2.856
12/05/2024$2.851
12/04/2024$2.843
12/03/2024$2.850
12/02/2024$2.850
11/29/2024$2.850
11/28/2024$2.842
11/27/2024$2.842
11/26/2024$2.841
11/25/2024$2.846
11/22/2024$2.846
11/21/2024$2.846
11/20/2024$2.846
11/19/2024$2.846
11/18/2024$2.846
11/15/2024$2.847
11/14/2024$2.857
11/13/2024$2.862
11/12/2024$2.862
11/11/2024$2.884

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Maine Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Maine, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Maine homeowners is propane, used by 74,720 homes (12.99%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (53,649), wood (50,553), natural gas (46,832), and other fuels (16,018).

Maine Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelMaine Households % of Households
Heating Oil344,28559.8%
Propane74,72013.0%
Electricity53,6499.3%
Wood50,5538.8%
Natural Gas46,8328.1%
Other Fuels10,7761.9%
No Fuel2,2210.4%
Solar1,7620.3%
Coal1,2590.2%

Heating oil (59.8%)

Propane (13.0%)

Electricity (9.3%)

Wood (8.8%)

Natural gas (8.1%)

Other fuels (1.9%)

No fuel (0.4%)

Solar (0.3%)

Coal (0.2%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Maine

Heating oil has become less popular in Maine. In the 7 years since 2015, the number of heating oil homes fell from 359,172 to 344,285, a 4.14% drop.

Maine Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011399,528
2012389,712
2013378,400
2014368,680
2015359,172
2016350,786
2017345,775
2018344,793
2019344,403
2020348,823
2021345,156
2022344,285

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Maine

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 45,626 to 74,720.

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 33,136 to 46,832.

Electricity use for home heating in Maine

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Maine. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 27,536 to 53,649, a 94.83% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Maine

Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.

Currently, 1,762 homes in Maine are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 246.85% increase from 2015, when only 508 homes had installed active solar heating.

Maine Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Maine homeowners purchased a total of 247 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Maine’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Maine, the average outside temperature was 4.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Maine Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
2024 - 202535.1° F
2023 - 202431.1° F

Maine Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Maine homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 131 heating oil companies that serve Maine is an important decision.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 19 “full-service” oil companies that serve Maine. Full service companies such as Alfred Oil or MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.

Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Maine homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Maine include EMERY MILLS ENERGY INC and Integrity Oil.

Maine Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Maine: 131 companies

Average Number Of Maine Homes Served Per Company: 2,628 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Maine Oil Company: 1,885,083 gallons per year

Maine Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 330,278 households in Maine heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Maine temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

59% of Maine Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Maine HouseholdsMaine Heating Oil Households
552,674330,278

131 Maine Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 247 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Maine homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Maine community relies on its 131 oil companies to keep warm.

Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Maine, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Bangor, ME and Pbt in Brewer, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Maine.