Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Kennebec Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Kennebec, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Kennebec families 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%).
Kennebec 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 Kennebec
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Kennebec. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of households using oil fell from 323,666 to 298,426, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Kennebec
Between 2023 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 84,744 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 51,811 to 53,178, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Kennebec
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Kennebec. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 79,160 to 92,432, a 17% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Kennebec
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. Currently, 3,526 homes in Kennebec are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 65% gain from 2023, when 2,137 homes had active solar heating.
Kennebec County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Kennebec County homeowners purchased a total of 25 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Kennebec’s overall number two heating oil consumption varies yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Kennebec was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Kennebec County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Kennebec County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Kennebec residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 17 heating oil companies that serve Kennebec can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 12 “full-service” oil companies that serve Kennebec. Full service companies such as MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC or MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Kennebec cash heating oil companies serving Kennebec include Fabian Discount Online and Fabian Oil Inc.
Kennebec Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Kennebec: 17 companies .
Average Number of Kennebec Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 17554
Kennebec Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Kennebec heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Kennebec temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Kennebec families rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Kennebec County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Kennebec County Households | Kennebec County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
160 Kennebec Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Kennebec homes the last heating season, the Kennebec community depends on its 160 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 Kennebec, 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 Kennebec and the surrounding area.
