Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hancock Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Hancock, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hancock households 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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Hancock. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of homeowners using fuel oil fell from 339,456 to 298,426, a 12% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hancock
Between 2022 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 84,304 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 48,991 to 53,178, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hancock
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Hancock. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 63,901 to 92,432, a 45% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hancock
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. Today, 3,526 homes in Hancock are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 107% gain from 2022, when 1,704 homes had 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 fuel oil use changes yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional 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 fuel oil, selecting which of the 17 heating oil companies that serve Hancock is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 clients who are looking to save money. 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Hancock cash heating oil companies serving Hancock include Morin Fuel and Marquis Heating Inc.
Hancock Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Hancock: 17 companies .
Average Number of Hancock Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 17554
Hancock Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 residences in Hancock heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hancock temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Hancock houses are reliant on number two heating 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 You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Hancock families last winter, the Hancock community relies on its 99 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 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 homes and businesses throughout Hancock and the surrounding vicinity.
