Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sagadahoc Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Sagadahoc, used by 298,426 or 48% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Sagadahoc 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%).
Sagadahoc 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 Sagadahoc
Heating oil has become less popular in Sagadahoc. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of households using oil decreased from 344,869 to 298,426, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up 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 increased from 44,750 to 53,178, a 19% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Sagadahoc. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 48,008 to 92,432, a 93% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sagadahoc
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 Sagadahoc are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 237% gain from 2019, when 1,047 homes used active solar heating.
Sagadahoc County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Sagadahoc County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Sagadahoc’s overall heating oil consumption changes yearly based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Sagadahoc was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Sagadahoc County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Sagadahoc County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Sagadahoc homes heating with oil, choosing which of the 15 heating oil companies that serve Sagadahoc is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Sagadahoc. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Ness Oil Company offer households 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 homeowner 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Sagadahoc cash heating oil companies serving Sagadahoc include Kennebec Energy LLC and Kaler Oil Co Inc.
Sagadahoc Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Sagadahoc: 15 companies .
Average Number of Sagadahoc Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 19895
Sagadahoc Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 households in Sagadahoc heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sagadahoc temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Sagadahoc families rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Sagadahoc County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Sagadahoc County Households | Sagadahoc County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
71 Sagadahoc Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Sagadahoc homeowners last winter, the Sagadahoc community depends on its 71 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Sagadahoc, 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 Sagadahoc and the surrounding area.
