Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
12/21/2024 | $2.899 |
12/20/2024 | $2.899 |
12/19/2024 | $2.899 |
12/18/2024 | $2.899 |
12/17/2024 | $2.899 |
12/16/2024 | $2.899 |
12/10/2024 | $2.799 |
12/09/2024 | $2.799 |
12/08/2024 | $2.799 |
12/07/2024 | $2.799 |
12/06/2024 | $2.799 |
12/05/2024 | $2.799 |
12/04/2024 | $2.799 |
12/03/2024 | $2.799 |
12/02/2024 | $2.799 |
12/01/2024 | $2.799 |
11/30/2024 | $2.799 |
11/29/2024 | $2.799 |
11/28/2024 | $2.799 |
11/27/2024 | $2.799 |
11/26/2024 | $2.799 |
11/25/2024 | $2.799 |
11/24/2024 | $2.799 |
11/23/2024 | $2.799 |
11/22/2024 | $2.799 |
11/21/2024 | $2.799 |
11/20/2024 | $2.799 |
11/19/2024 | $2.799 |
11/18/2024 | $2.799 |
11/17/2024 | $2.799 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Knox County, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Knox County homeowners is propane, used by 74,720 homes (12.99%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (53,649), wood (50,553), natural gas (46,832), and other fuels (16,018).
Knox County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Knox County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Heating Oil | 344,285 | 59.8% |
Propane | 74,720 | 13.0% |
Electricity | 53,649 | 9.3% |
Wood | 50,553 | 8.8% |
Natural Gas | 46,832 | 8.1% |
Other Fuels | 10,776 | 1.9% |
No Fuel | 2,221 | 0.4% |
Solar | 1,762 | 0.3% |
Coal | 1,259 | 0.2% |
Heating oil (59.8%)
Propane (13.0%)
Electricity (9.3%)
Wood (8.8%)
Natural gas (8.1%)
Other fuels (1.9%)
No fuel (0.4%)
Solar (0.3%)
Coal (0.2%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Knox County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 378,400 to 344,285, a 9.02% drop.
Knox County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 399,528 |
2012 | 389,712 |
2013 | 378,400 |
2014 | 368,680 |
2015 | 359,172 |
2016 | 350,786 |
2017 | 345,775 |
2018 | 344,793 |
2019 | 344,403 |
2020 | 348,823 |
2021 | 345,156 |
2022 | 344,285 |
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 40,668 to 74,720.
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 27,717 to 46,832.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Knox County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 26,246 to 53,649, a 104.41% increase.
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space 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 in the basement.
Currently, 1,762 homes in Knox County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 293.30% increase from 2013, when only 448 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Knox County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Knox County’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Knox County, the average outside temperature was 4.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Knox County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
2024 - 2025 | 35.1° F |
2023 - 2024 | 31.1° F |
For Knox County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Knox County is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 5 “full-service” oil companies that serve Knox County. Full service companies such as Maritime Energy or MA Haskell Fuel Company LLC offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Knox County homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Knox County include CB Haskell Fuel Company Inc and Boothbay Energy.
Knox County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Knox County: 6 companies
Average Number Of Knox County Homes Served Per Company: 575 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Knox County Oil Company: 412,909 gallons per year
Approximately 3,454 households in Knox County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Knox County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
63% of Knox County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Knox County Households | Knox County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
5,435 | 3,454 |
8 Knox County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 2 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Knox County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Knox County community relies on its 8 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Knox County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Bangor, ME and Pbt in Brewer, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Knox County.