Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Carroll Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Carroll, used by 212,831 or 37% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Carroll families is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The remaining homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).
Carroll 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 Carroll
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Carroll. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 221,554 to 212,831, a 4% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Carroll
Between 2023 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 112,909 to 121,512, a 8% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 118,533 to 124,974, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Carroll
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Carroll. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 64,436 to 70,926, a 10% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Carroll
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. Today, 2,474 homes in Carroll are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 60% gain from 2023, when 1,544 homes incorporated 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 annually correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional 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 homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Carroll can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating 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 Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Carroll: 5 companies .
Average Number of Carroll Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 42566
Carroll Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 households in Carroll heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Carroll temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Carroll families rely on number two 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 You Can Bank On
With 199,461,865 gallons of oil delivered to Carroll families last winter, the Carroll community depends on its 23 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 Carroll, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Carroll and the surrounding vicinity.
