Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Penobscot Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Penobscot, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Penobscot 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%).
Penobscot 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 Penobscot
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Penobscot. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 323,666 to 298,426, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Penobscot
Between 2023 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 84,744 to 101,382, a 20% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 51,811 to 53,178, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Penobscot
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Penobscot. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 79,160 to 92,432, a 17% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Penobscot
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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 Penobscot are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 65% gain from 2023, when 2,137 homes had active solar heating.
Penobscot County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Penobscot County homeowners purchased a total of 21 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Penobscot’s overall fuel oil use varies yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Penobscot was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Penobscot County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Penobscot County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Penobscot families heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 19 heating oil companies that serve Penobscot is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Penobscot. Full service companies such as Gary's Fuel Oil Co Inc or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the 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 Penobscot cash heating oil companies serving Penobscot include RH Foster Energy and Valley Home Heating LLC.
Penobscot Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Penobscot: 19 companies .
Average Number of Penobscot Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 15707
Penobscot Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Penobscot heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Penobscot temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Penobscot homes rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Penobscot County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Penobscot County Households | Penobscot County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
237 Penobscot Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Penobscot houses last winter, the Penobscot community looks to its 237 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 Penobscot, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Penobscot and the surrounding region.
