Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Carroll Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Carroll, used by 212,831 or 37% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Carroll families 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 (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
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Carroll. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 232,674 to 212,831, a 9% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Carroll
Between 2015 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 78,670 to 121,512, a 54% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 103,292 to 124,974, a 21% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Carroll
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Carroll. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 46,002 to 70,926, a 54% 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 407% gain from 2015, when 488 homes had 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 heating oil use fluctuates from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems 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 homes heating with number two heating 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 want 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 customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. 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 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 Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Carroll: 5 companies .
Average Number of Carroll Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 42566
Carroll Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 families in Carroll heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Carroll temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Carroll houses depend 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 You Can Bank On
With 199,461,865 gallons of heating oil delivered to Carroll families last winter, the Carroll community looks to its 23 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 Carroll, 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 Carroll and the surrounding vicinity.
