Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Knox Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes 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 homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Knox 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%).
Knox 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 Knox
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Knox. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 339,456 to 298,426, a 12% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Knox
Between 2022 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 84,304 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 48,991 to 53,178, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Knox
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Knox. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 63,901 to 92,432, a 45% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Knox
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 Knox are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 107% gain from 2022, when 1,704 homes used 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 consumption varies annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more 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 heating oil, picking which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Knox is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 families who are budget-conscious. 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 you're running low. A few of the 2 Knox cash heating oil companies serving Knox include CB Haskell Fuel Company Inc and Boothbay Energy.
Knox Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Knox: 6 companies .
Average Number of Knox Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 49738
Knox Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Knox heat their homes with number two heating 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 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 You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Knox homes during this past winter, the Knox community depends on its 8 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Knox and the surrounding vicinity.
