Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Waldo Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Waldo, used by 298,426 or 48% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Waldo households 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 (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 Waldo
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Waldo. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of families using fuel oil dipped from 374,110 to 298,426, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Waldo
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 41,477 to 101,382, a 144% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 28,621 to 53,178, a 86% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Waldo
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Waldo. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 23,260 to 92,432, a 297% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Waldo
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Today, 3,526 homes in Waldo are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 455% gain from 2012, when 635 homes incorporated 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 fuel oil consumption changes yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 heating oil, selecting which of the 14 heating oil companies that serve Waldo is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Waldo cash heating oil companies serving Waldo include Waldo Country Oil & Propane and Valley Home Heating LLC.
Waldo Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Waldo: 14 companies .
Average Number of Waldo Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 21316
Waldo Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 families in Waldo heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Waldo temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Waldo residences are reliant on number two heating 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 Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Waldo households last winter, the Waldo community depends on its 49 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Waldo and the surrounding vicinity.
