Homes have a variety 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 families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Belknap homeowners is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The rest of the 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 decreasing in demand in Belknap. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using number two heating oil decreased from 229,187 to 212,831, a 7% drop.

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Belknap

Between 2016 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 81,949 to 121,512, a 48% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 110,428 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 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 48,677 to 70,926, a 46% 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 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. Currently, 2,474 homes in Belknap are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 271% gain from 2016, when 666 homes incorporated 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 fuel oil use fluctuates each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homes heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 20 heating oil companies that serve Belknap plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC 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 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Belknap cash heating oil companies serving Belknap include Foley Oil Company Inc and 603 Oil Co.

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

Belknap Heating Oil Delivery Overview

212,831 houses 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 depend on fuel 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 Go The Distance

With 199,461,865 gallons of oil delivered to Belknap residences the last heating season, the Belknap community relies on its 110 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Belknap and the surrounding area.

Heating Oil Near You In These Adjacent Counties

Rockingham County, NH

Strafford County, NH

Sullivan County, NH