Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Piscataquis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Piscataquis, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Piscataquis households 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 (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 Piscataquis
Oil has become less popular in Piscataquis. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of families using fuel oil decreased from 345,133 to 298,426, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Piscataquis
Between 2021 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 78,322 to 101,382, a 29% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 47,952 to 53,178, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Piscataquis
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Piscataquis. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 61,019 to 92,432, a 51% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Piscataquis
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Currently, 3,526 homes in Piscataquis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 157% gain from 2021, when 1,374 homes utilized 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 oil consumption changes annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more number two 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 homes heating with heating oil, picking which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Piscataquis can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Piscataquis. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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 families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower 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. 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: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Piscataquis: 2 companies .
Average Number of Piscataquis Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 149213
Piscataquis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 families 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 houses depend on number two heating 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 fuel oil delivered to Piscataquis homes during this past winter, the Piscataquis community depends on its 2 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Piscataquis, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Piscataquis and the surrounding region.
