Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Oxford Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Oxford, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Oxford 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%).
Oxford 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 Oxford
Oil has become losing popularity in Oxford. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of households using oil dipped from 355,904 to 298,426, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Oxford
Between 2018 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 61,194 to 101,382, a 66% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 44,328 to 53,178, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Oxford
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Oxford. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 41,759 to 92,432, a 121% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Oxford
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. Today, 3,526 homes in Oxford are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 202% gain from 2018, when 1,169 homes had active solar heating.
Oxford County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Oxford County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Oxford’s overall number two heating oil usage changes annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Oxford was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Oxford County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Oxford County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Oxford homeowners heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 16 heating oil companies that serve Oxford plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 4 “full-service” oil companies that serve Oxford. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Mainely Heating Oil offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 homeowners 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 you're running low. A few of the 2 Oxford cash heating oil companies serving Oxford include C N Brown Co and CN Brown Energy.
Oxford Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Oxford: 16 companies .
Average Number of Oxford Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 18652
Oxford Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Oxford heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Oxford temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Oxford households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Oxford County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Oxford County Households | Oxford County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
92 Oxford Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Oxford houses last winter, the Oxford community depends on its 92 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 Oxford, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Oxford and the surrounding region.
