Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hancock Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Hancock, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hancock households is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Hancock 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 Hancock
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Hancock. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 374,110 to 298,426, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hancock
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 41,477 to 101,382, a 144% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 28,621 to 53,178, a 86% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hancock
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Hancock. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 23,260 to 92,432, a 297% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hancock
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated 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 455% gain from 2012, when 635 homes used 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 consumption changes each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 17 heating oil companies that serve Hancock plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 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 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 Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Hancock: 17 companies .
Average Number of Hancock Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 17554
Hancock Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 residences in Hancock heat their homes with 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 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Hancock houses during this past winter, the Hancock community looks to its 99 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Hancock and the surrounding vicinity.
