Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Waldo Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety 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 residents. The 2nd 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
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Waldo. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil fell from 351,842 to 298,426, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Waldo
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 45,601 to 101,382, a 122% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 31,836 to 53,178, a 67% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Waldo
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Waldo. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 28,747 to 92,432, a 222% 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 626% gain from 2013, when 486 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 heating oil use fluctuates from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more 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 households heating with oil, picking which of the 14 heating oil companies that serve Waldo plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace 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 client does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are on a budget. 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 Waldo cash heating oil companies serving Waldo include Waldo Country Oil & Propane and Valley Home Heating LLC.
Waldo Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Waldo: 14 companies .
Average Number of Waldo Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 21316
Waldo Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses 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 homes are reliant on 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 Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Waldo homeowners during this past winter, 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 number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Waldo and the surrounding vicinity.
