Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Somerset Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Somerset, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Somerset residents is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Somerset 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 Somerset
Heating oil has become less popular in Somerset. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of residents using fuel oil declined from 345,133 to 298,426, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Somerset
Between 2021 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 rose from 47,952 to 53,178, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Somerset
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Somerset. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 61,019 to 92,432, a 51% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Somerset
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Somerset are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 157% gain from 2021, when 1,374 homes utilized active solar heating.
Somerset County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Somerset County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Somerset’s overall fuel oil consumption varies yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Somerset was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Somerset County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Somerset County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Somerset families heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Somerset makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 11 “full-service” oil companies that serve Somerset. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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 families who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better 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. A few of the 2 Somerset cash heating oil companies serving Somerset include Valley Gas and Oil Company and Twitchell Fuel co.
Somerset Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Somerset: 13 companies .
Average Number of Somerset Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 22956
Somerset Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Somerset heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Somerset temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Somerset houses rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Somerset County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Somerset County Households | Somerset County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
45 Somerset Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Somerset households last winter, the Somerset community looks to its 45 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Somerset, 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 residences and companies throughout Somerset and the surrounding area.
