Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety 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 homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin 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%).
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
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Franklin. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of families using heating oil dropped from 342,185 to 298,426, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2014 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 48,027 to 101,382, a 111% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 37,608 to 53,178, a 41% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Franklin. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 28,040 to 92,432, a 230% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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 Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 682% gain from 2014, when 451 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 consumption fluctuates each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more 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 households heating with oil, choosing which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Franklin can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 customers who are budget-conscious. 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 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 Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Franklin: 7 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 42632
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Franklin heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Franklin residences rely on 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Franklin households during this past winter, the Franklin community depends on its 21 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Franklin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
