Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Piscataquis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Piscataquis, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Piscataquis 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%).
Piscataquis 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 Piscataquis
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Piscataquis. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 333,900 to 298,426, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Piscataquis
Between 2016 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 52,621 to 101,382, a 93% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 41,879 to 53,178, a 27% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Piscataquis
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Piscataquis. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 33,543 to 92,432, a 176% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Piscataquis
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 Piscataquis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1030% gain from 2016, when 312 homes had active solar heating.
Piscataquis County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Piscataquis County homeowners purchased a total of 969,034 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Piscataquis’s overall fuel oil consumption changes annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Piscataquis was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Piscataquis County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Piscataquis County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Piscataquis families heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Piscataquis makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Piscataquis. Full service companies such as or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace 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 family 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 customers who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Piscataquis cash heating oil companies serving Piscataquis include Mckusick Petroleum Co Inc and A E Robinson Oil Company.
Piscataquis Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Piscataquis: 2 companies .
Average Number of Piscataquis Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 149213
Piscataquis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Piscataquis heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Piscataquis temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Piscataquis families are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Piscataquis County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Piscataquis County Households | Piscataquis County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
2 Piscataquis Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Piscataquis houses last winter, the Piscataquis community relies on its 2 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 Piscataquis, 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 Piscataquis and the surrounding region.
