Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Franklin, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin homeowners is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other 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
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Franklin. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using heating oil dipped from 345,001 to 298,426, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2020 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 73,782 to 101,382, a 37% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 46,351 to 53,178, a 15% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Franklin. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 54,514 to 92,432, a 70% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
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 Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 191% gain from 2020, when 1,210 homes utilized 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 oil usage fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homes heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Franklin makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer households 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 heating 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 customers who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include Valley Gas and Oil Company and Twitchell Fuel co.
Franklin Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Franklin: 7 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 42632
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 households in Franklin heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Franklin residences depend on heating 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 Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Franklin homes the last heating season, the Franklin community looks to its 21 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery is a two step process: 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 number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
