Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hancock Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host 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 families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hancock 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%).
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
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Hancock. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of households using oil dropped from 331,541 to 298,426, a 10% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hancock
Between 2017 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 61,816 to 101,382, a 64% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 41,841 to 53,178, a 27% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hancock
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Hancock. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 36,406 to 92,432, a 154% 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 187% gain from 2017, when 1,228 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 oil consumption fluctuates each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional heating 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 households 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 want 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system 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 client 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 households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Hancock cash heating oil companies serving Hancock include Morin Fuel and Marquis Heating Inc.
Hancock Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Hancock: 17 companies .
Average Number of Hancock Households Served per Heating Oil company : 17554
Hancock Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 households 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 households 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Hancock houses last winter, the Hancock community relies on 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 vicinity.
