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 preferred choice in Somerset, used by 298,426 or 48% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Somerset families 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%).
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
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Somerset. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using fuel oil dropped from 355,904 to 298,426, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Somerset
Between 2018 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 61,194 to 101,382, a 66% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 44,328 to 53,178, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Somerset
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Somerset. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 41,759 to 92,432, a 121% 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 202% gain from 2018, when 1,169 homes had 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 oil consumption varies yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 households heating with oil, choosing which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Somerset is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 households 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 heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Somerset cash heating oil companies serving Somerset include Valley Gas and Oil Company and Twitchell Fuel co.
Somerset Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Somerset: 13 companies .
Average Number of Somerset Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 22956
Somerset Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Somerset heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Somerset temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Somerset households 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Somerset houses last winter, the Somerset community depends on its 45 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 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.
