Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Carroll Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Carroll, used by 212,831 or 37% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Carroll homeowners is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).
Carroll 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 Carroll
Oil has become less frequently used in Carroll. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of families using fuel oil dropped from 227,681 to 212,831, a 7% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Carroll
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up 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 rose from 111,070 to 124,974, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Carroll
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Carroll. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 47,927 to 70,926, a 48% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Carroll
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. Now, 2,474 homes in Carroll are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 330% gain from 2017, when 575 homes utilized active solar heating.
Carroll County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Carroll County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Carroll’s overall fuel oil usage varies yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Carroll was 24.1°F, which was 5.3°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Carroll County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 29.4° F |
Carroll County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Carroll residences heating with oil, choosing which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Carroll makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 6 “full-service” oil companies that serve Carroll. Full service companies such as Dutile & Sons Oil Company Inc or Dutile & Sons Oil Company Inc offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are looking to save money. 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 you're running low. Examples of 2 Carroll cash heating oil companies serving Carroll include White Mountain Oil & Propane Co and 603 Oil Co.
Carroll Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Carroll: 5 companies .
Average Number of Carroll Households Served per Heating Oil company : 42566
Carroll Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 homes in Carroll heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Carroll temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Carroll residences are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
18.4% of Carroll County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Carroll County Households | Carroll County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.1M | 212,831 |
23 Carroll Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 199,461,865 gallons of heating oil delivered to Carroll houses during this past winter, the Carroll community depends on its 23 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Carroll, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Carroll and the surrounding vicinity.
