Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from 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 homeowners 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 (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 Franklin
Heating oil has become less popular in Franklin. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 351,842 to 298,426, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 45,601 to 101,382, a 122% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 31,836 to 53,178, a 67% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Franklin. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 28,747 to 92,432, a 222% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
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. As it stands today, 3,526 homes in Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 626% gain from 2013, when 486 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 fuel oil consumption fluctuates annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 residences heating with oil, selecting which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Franklin makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler 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 clients who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include Valley Gas and Oil Company and Twitchell Fuel co.
Franklin Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Franklin: 7 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 42632
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Franklin heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Franklin households are reliant 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 Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Franklin houses during this past winter, 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 fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
