Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Oxford Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Oxford, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Oxford families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Oxford 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 Oxford
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Oxford. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 344,869 to 298,426, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Oxford
Between 2019 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 69,241 to 101,382, a 46% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 44,750 to 53,178, a 19% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Oxford
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Oxford. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 48,008 to 92,432, a 93% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Oxford
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Today, 3,526 homes in Oxford are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 237% gain from 2019, when 1,047 homes utilized 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 oil use changes annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems 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 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 homes heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 16 heating oil companies that serve Oxford makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Oxford cash heating oil companies serving Oxford include C N Brown Co and CN Brown Energy.
Oxford Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Oxford: 16 companies .
Average Number of Oxford Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 18652
Oxford Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Oxford heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Oxford temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Oxford residences 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Oxford houses during this past winter, the Oxford community depends on its 92 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 Oxford, 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 Oxford and the surrounding region.
