Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Knox Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Knox, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Knox residents is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Knox 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 Knox
Heating oil has become less popular in Knox. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of residents using number two heating oil dipped from 309,159 to 298,426, a 3% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Knox
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped 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 increased from 51,248 to 53,178, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Knox
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Knox. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 83,361 to 92,432, a 11% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Knox
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Currently, 3,526 homes in Knox are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12% gain from 2024, when 3,144 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Knox County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Knox County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Knox’s overall fuel oil use fluctuates yearly based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Knox was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Knox County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Knox County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Knox residences heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Knox is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 5 “full-service” oil companies that serve Knox. Full service companies such as Maritime Energy or MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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: Often called “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 fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Knox cash heating oil companies serving Knox include CB Haskell Fuel Company Inc and Boothbay Energy.
Knox Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Knox: 6 companies .
Average Number of Knox Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 49738
Knox Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 residences in Knox heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Knox temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Knox families are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Knox County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Knox County Households | Knox County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
8 Knox Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Knox households the last heating season, the Knox community depends on its 8 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Knox, 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 Knox and the surrounding area.
