Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Belknap Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Belknap, used by 212,831 or 37% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Belknap homeowners is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The remaining homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).
Belknap County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number 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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Belknap. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of households using oil declined from 227,681 to 212,831, a 7% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Belknap
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 90,341 to 121,512, a 35% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 111,070 to 124,974, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Belknap
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Belknap. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 47,927 to 70,926, a 48% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Belknap
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. As it stands today, 2,474 homes in Belknap are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 330% gain from 2017, when 575 homes had 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 changes from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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, picking which of the 20 heating oil companies that serve Belknap makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 HVAC 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 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 homeowners who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating 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 Belknap cash heating oil companies serving Belknap include Foley Oil Company Inc and 603 Oil Co.
Belknap Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Belknap: 20 companies .
Average Number of Belknap Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 10642
Belknap Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 houses in Belknap heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Belknap temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Belknap families depend on 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 199,461,865 gallons of oil delivered to Belknap homes during this past winter, the Belknap community relies on 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 area.
