Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Grafton Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Grafton, used by 212,831 or 37% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Grafton 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%).
Grafton 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 Grafton
Fuel oil has become more popular in Grafton. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of residents using heating oil ramped up from 211,416 to 212,831, a 1% gain.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Grafton
Between 2024 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 116,162 to 121,512, a 5% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel declined from 126,691 to 124,974, a 1% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Grafton
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Grafton. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 68,090 to 70,926, a 4% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Grafton
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. As it stands today, 2,474 homes in Grafton are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 15% gain from 2024, when 2,147 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Grafton County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Grafton County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Grafton’s overall oil usage fluctuates each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Grafton was 24.1°F, which was 5.3°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Grafton County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 29.4° F |
Grafton County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Grafton residences heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Grafton plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 4 “full-service” oil companies that serve Grafton. Full service companies such as Goodrich Oil & Propane Co or Dutile & Sons Oil Company Inc offer clients 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 oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 families who are looking to save money. 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 Grafton cash heating oil companies serving Grafton include Kmj Precision Fuels Inc and Presby Energy Inc.
Grafton Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Grafton: 13 companies .
Average Number of Grafton Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 16372
Grafton Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 households in Grafton heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Grafton temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Grafton houses rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
18.4% of Grafton County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Grafton County Households | Grafton County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.1M | 212,831 |
41 Grafton Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 199,461,865 gallons of oil delivered to Grafton houses during this past winter, the Grafton community looks to its 41 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Grafton, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Grafton and the surrounding vicinity.