Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hancock Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Hancock, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hancock homeowners is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The rest of the homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Hancock 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 Hancock
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Hancock. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of residents using oil dipped from 336,337 to 298,426, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hancock
Between 2015 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 50,511 to 101,382, a 101% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 37,624 to 53,178, a 41% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hancock
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Hancock. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 35,138 to 92,432, a 163% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hancock
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. Today, 3,526 homes in Hancock are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 484% gain from 2015, when 604 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Hancock County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Hancock County homeowners purchased a total of 9 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Hancock’s overall number two heating oil use changes yearly based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Hancock was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Hancock County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Hancock County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Hancock residences heating with oil, picking which of the 17 heating oil companies that serve Hancock makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 8 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hancock. Full service companies such as Gary's Fuel Oil Co Inc or Gary's Fuel Oil Co Inc offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system 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 homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower 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 Hancock cash heating oil companies serving Hancock include Morin Fuel and Marquis Heating Inc.
Hancock Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Hancock: 17 companies .
Average Number of Hancock Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 17554
Hancock Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 families in Hancock heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hancock temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Hancock homes depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Hancock County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Hancock County Households | Hancock County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
99 Hancock Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Hancock homeowners during this past winter, the Hancock community looks to its 99 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 Hancock, 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 Hancock and the surrounding region.
