Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Waldo Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Waldo, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Waldo homeowners 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%).
Waldo 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 Waldo
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Waldo. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of households using fuel oil dipped from 333,900 to 298,426, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Waldo
Between 2016 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 52,621 to 101,382, a 93% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 41,879 to 53,178, a 27% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Waldo
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Waldo. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 33,543 to 92,432, a 176% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Waldo
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 Waldo are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1030% gain from 2016, when 312 homes had active solar heating.
Waldo County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Waldo County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Waldo’s overall oil use fluctuates annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Waldo was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Waldo County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Waldo County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Waldo homes heating with oil, selecting which of the 14 heating oil companies that serve Waldo can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 18 “full-service” oil companies that serve Waldo. Full service companies such as Gary's Fuel Oil Co Inc or Tidewater Oil offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 families who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Waldo cash heating oil companies serving Waldo include Waldo Country Oil & Propane and Valley Home Heating LLC.
Waldo Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Waldo: 14 companies .
Average Number of Waldo Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 21316
Waldo Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 homes in Waldo heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Waldo temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Waldo families are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Waldo County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Waldo County Households | Waldo County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
49 Waldo Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Waldo families the last heating season, the Waldo community depends on its 49 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Waldo, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Waldo and the surrounding vicinity.
