Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Waldo Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Waldo, used by 298,426 or 48% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Waldo residents 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
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Waldo. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of households using number two heating oil dropped from 355,904 to 298,426, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Waldo
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 shot up from 44,328 to 53,178, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Waldo
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Waldo. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 41,759 to 92,432, a 121% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Waldo
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. Now, 3,526 homes in Waldo are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 202% gain from 2018, when 1,169 homes utilized 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 varies each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional 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 families heating with number two heating oil, picking 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 choose 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Waldo cash heating oil companies serving Waldo include Waldo Country Oil & Propane and Valley Home Heating LLC.
Waldo Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: 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 households 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 households depend on 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Waldo homes the last heating season, the Waldo community relies 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 #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Waldo and the surrounding region.
