Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sagadahoc Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Sagadahoc, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Sagadahoc households is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Sagadahoc 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 Sagadahoc
Heating oil has become less popular in Sagadahoc. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of families using fuel oil declined from 309,159 to 298,426, a 3% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 98,171 to 101,382, a 3% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 51,248 to 53,178, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Sagadahoc. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 83,361 to 92,432, a 11% 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 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 Sagadahoc are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12% gain from 2024, when 3,144 homes had 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 oil use fluctuates from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn additional 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 families heating with oil, selecting which of the 15 heating oil companies that serve Sagadahoc is an important decision.
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 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 HVAC repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Sagadahoc cash heating oil companies serving Sagadahoc include Kennebec Energy LLC and Kaler Oil Co Inc.
Sagadahoc Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Sagadahoc: 15 companies .
Average Number of Sagadahoc Households Served per Heating Oil company : 19895
Sagadahoc Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 households in Sagadahoc heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sagadahoc temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Sagadahoc households are reliant on 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Sagadahoc homes last winter, the Sagadahoc community looks to its 71 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Sagadahoc and the surrounding vicinity.
