Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Kennebec Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Kennebec, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Kennebec 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%).
Kennebec 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 Kennebec
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Kennebec. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of homeowners using oil dropped from 309,159 to 298,426, a 3% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Kennebec
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 98,171 to 101,382, a 3% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 51,248 to 53,178, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Kennebec
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Kennebec. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 83,361 to 92,432, a 11% 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. Now, 3,526 homes in Kennebec are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12% gain from 2024, when 3,144 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 fluctuates yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 17 heating oil companies that serve Kennebec plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the 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 Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Kennebec: 17 companies .
Average Number of Kennebec Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 17554
Kennebec Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 households in Kennebec heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Kennebec temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Kennebec homes are reliant 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 looks to its 160 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 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 residences and companies throughout Kennebec and the surrounding area.
