Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Oxford Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice 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 residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Oxford residents 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%).
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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Oxford. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using oil dropped 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 jumped 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 rose from 44,328 to 53,178, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Oxford
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Oxford. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped 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. Now, 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 fuel oil use fluctuates each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, selecting 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 value 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 customers 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 heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. 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 Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Oxford: 16 companies .
Average Number of Oxford Households Served per Number Two Heating 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 families rely on 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Oxford homeowners the last heating season, the Oxford community depends on its 92 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery is a two step process: 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 number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Oxford and the surrounding vicinity.
