Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
10/03/2024 | $3.020 |
10/02/2024 | $3.020 |
10/01/2024 | $3.020 |
09/30/2024 | $3.020 |
09/29/2024 | $3.020 |
09/28/2024 | $3.020 |
09/27/2024 | $3.020 |
09/26/2024 | $3.020 |
09/25/2024 | $3.020 |
09/24/2024 | $3.020 |
09/23/2024 | $3.020 |
09/22/2024 | $3.020 |
09/21/2024 | $3.020 |
09/20/2024 | $3.020 |
09/19/2024 | $3.020 |
09/18/2024 | $3.020 |
09/17/2024 | $3.020 |
09/16/2024 | $3.099 |
09/15/2024 | $3.099 |
09/14/2024 | $3.099 |
09/13/2024 | $3.099 |
09/12/2024 | $3.099 |
09/11/2024 | $3.099 |
09/10/2024 | $3.099 |
08/30/2024 | $2.959 |
08/29/2024 | $2.959 |
08/28/2024 | $2.959 |
08/27/2024 | $2.959 |
08/26/2024 | $2.959 |
08/25/2024 | $2.959 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Somerset County, used by 344,285 or 59.84% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Somerset County homeowners is propane, used by 74,720 homes (12.99%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (53,649), wood (50,553), natural gas (46,832), and other fuels (16,018).
Somerset County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Somerset County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Heating Oil | 344,285 | 59.84% |
Propane | 74,720 | 12.99% |
Electricity | 53,649 | 9.33% |
Wood | 50,553 | 8.79% |
Natural Gas | 46,832 | 8.14% |
Other Fuels | 10,776 | 1.87% |
No Fuel | 2,221 | 0.39% |
Solar | 1,762 | 0.31% |
Coal | 1,259 | 0.22% |
Heating oil (59.84)
Propane (12.99)
Electricity (9.33)
Wood (8.79)
Natural gas (8.14)
Other fuels (1.87)
No fuel (0.39)
Solar (0.31)
Coal (0.22)
Heating oil has become less popular in Somerset County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 345,775 to 344,285, a 0.43% drop.
Somerset County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 399,528 |
2012 | 389,712 |
2013 | 378,400 |
2014 | 368,680 |
2015 | 359,172 |
2016 | 350,786 |
2017 | 345,775 |
2018 | 344,793 |
2019 | 344,403 |
2020 | 348,823 |
2021 | 345,156 |
2022 | 344,285 |
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 52,707 to 74,720.
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 38,464 to 46,832.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Somerset County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 32,239 to 53,649, a 66.41% increase.
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.
Currently, 1,762 homes in Somerset County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 180.13% increase from 2017, when only 629 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Somerset County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Somerset County’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Somerset County, the average outside temperature was 20.1° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Somerset County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 66° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 45.9° F |
For Somerset County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 18 heating oil companies that serve Somerset County is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 11 “full-service” oil companies that serve Somerset County. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Somerset County homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Somerset County include Valley Gas & Oil Co and Valley Gas and Oil Company.
Somerset County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Somerset County: 18 companies
Average Number Of Somerset County Homes Served Per Company: 436 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Somerset County Oil Company: 312,730 gallons per year
Approximately 7,848 households in Somerset County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Somerset County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
64% of Somerset County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Somerset County Households | Somerset County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
12,094 | 7,848 |
66 Somerset County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 6 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Somerset County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Somerset County community relies on its 66 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Somerset County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Bangor, ME and Pbt in Brewer, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Somerset County.