Families have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Belknap, used by 212,831 or 37% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Belknap households is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).

Belknap County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)

Year	Natural Gas	Propane	Electricity	Oil	Wood	Solar	Other
2025	124,974	121,512	70,926	212,831	32,268	2,474	11,835
2024	126,691	116,162	68,090	211,416	29,746	2,147	11,751
2023	118,533	112,909	64,436	221,554	35,424	1,544	10,170
2022	121,267	103,967	61,455	223,612	30,964	909	10,992
2021	121,966	102,208	58,765	218,724	30,381	890	10,002
2020	118,607	98,116	56,313	223,224	32,446	761	9,755
2019	115,248	94,024	53,861	227,725	34,512	632	9,508
2018	113,986	86,695	50,260	232,152	35,632	411	8,224
2017	111,070	90,341	47,927	227,681	37,912	575	8,850
2016	110,428	81,949	48,677	229,187	35,047	666	9,880
2015	103,292	78,670	46,002	232,674	42,472	488	10,268
2014	100,601	76,212	46,268	230,361	49,555	275	10,068
2013	101,529	76,485	42,038	239,542	44,711	334	9,251
2012	104,858	72,091	39,257	245,324	43,948	593	7,870
2011	100,958	74,416	40,613	252,159	37,084	280	7,019
2010	100,857	70,863	41,909	253,772	40,272	85	4,752

Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Belknap

Oil has become less frequently used in Belknap. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using heating oil fell from 232,152 to 212,831, a 8% drop.

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Belknap

Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 86,695 to 121,512, a 40% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 113,986 to 124,974, a 10% change.

Electricity use for home heating in Belknap

Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Belknap. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 50,260 to 70,926, a 41% change.

Adoption of solar home heating systems in Belknap

The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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, 2,474 homes in Belknap are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 502% gain from 2018, when 411 homes utilized active solar heating.

Belknap County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Belknap County homeowners purchased a total of 12 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Belknap’s overall heating oil use fluctuates from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Belknap was 24.1°F, which was 5.3°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Belknap County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
2024 - 2025	24.1° F
2023 - 2024	29.4° F

Belknap County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Belknap homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 20 heating oil companies that serve Belknap can drastically impact the cost of home heating.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 16 “full-service” oil companies that serve Belknap. Full service companies such as Dutile & Sons Oil Company Inc or Dutile & Sons Oil Company Inc offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner 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 on a budget. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Belknap cash heating oil companies serving Belknap include Foley Oil Company Inc and 603 Oil Co.

Belknap Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Belknap: 20 companies .
Average Number of Belknap Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 10642

Belknap Heating Oil Delivery Overview

212,831 families in Belknap heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Belknap temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Belknap families rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.

18.4% of Belknap County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Belknap County Households	Belknap County Heating Oil Households
1.1M	212,831

110 Belknap Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On

With 199,461,865 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Belknap families the last heating season, the Belknap community looks to its 110 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 Belknap, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Belknap and the surrounding vicinity.

Heating Oil Near You In These Adjacent Counties

Rockingham County, NH

Strafford County, NH

Sullivan County, NH