Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Franklin, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Franklin 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 Franklin
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Franklin. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of residents using fuel oil declined from 333,900 to 298,426, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2016 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 52,621 to 101,382, a 93% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 41,879 to 53,178, a 27% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Franklin. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 33,543 to 92,432, a 176% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated 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 Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1030% gain from 2016, when 312 homes had active solar heating.
Franklin County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Franklin County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Franklin’s overall heating oil consumption varies from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Franklin was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Franklin County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Franklin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Franklin families heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Franklin plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 families 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include Valley Gas and Oil Company and Twitchell Fuel co.
Franklin Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Franklin: 7 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 42632
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Franklin heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Franklin residences are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Franklin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Franklin County Households | Franklin County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
21 Franklin Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Franklin houses the last heating season, the Franklin community depends on its 21 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Franklin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
