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Troy, NHPropane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Cheshire Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Cheshire, used by 212,831 or 37% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Cheshire 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%).
Cheshire 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 Cheshire
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Cheshire. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of households using oil dipped from 239,542 to 212,831, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Cheshire
Between 2013 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 76,485 to 121,512, a 59% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 101,529 to 124,974, a 23% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Cheshire
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Cheshire. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 42,038 to 70,926, a 69% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Cheshire
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. Now, 2,474 homes in Cheshire are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 641% gain from 2013, when 334 homes utilized active solar heating.
Cheshire County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Cheshire County homeowners purchased a total of 15 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Cheshire’s overall number two heating oil use changes annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Cheshire was 24.1°F, which was 5.3°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Cheshire County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 29.4° F |
Cheshire County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Cheshire homes heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Cheshire is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 47 “full-service” oil companies that serve Cheshire. Full service companies such as Reds of Jaffrey or Discount Oil Of Keene offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler 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 customer 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 families who are budget-conscious. 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. A few of the 2 Cheshire cash heating oil companies serving Cheshire include Patten Energy and Davis Oil Company.
Cheshire Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Cheshire: 13 companies .
Average Number of Cheshire Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 16372
Cheshire Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 households in Cheshire heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Cheshire temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Cheshire households are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
18.4% of Cheshire County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Cheshire County Households | Cheshire County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.1M | 212,831 |
164 Cheshire Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 199,461,865 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Cheshire households last winter, the Cheshire community relies on its 164 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Cheshire, 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 Cheshire and the surrounding region.
