Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Grafton Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Grafton, used by 212,831 or 37% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Grafton residents is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The remaining homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).
Grafton 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 Grafton
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Grafton. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of families using fuel oil declined from 223,224 to 212,831, a 5% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Grafton
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 98,116 to 121,512, a 24% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 118,607 to 124,974, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Grafton
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Grafton. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 56,313 to 70,926, a 26% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Grafton
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 Grafton are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 225% gain from 2020, when 761 homes had 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 number two heating oil usage fluctuates from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homeowners heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Grafton makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC 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 budget-conscious. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. 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: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Grafton: 13 companies .
Average Number of Grafton Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 16372
Grafton Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 families in Grafton heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Grafton temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Grafton families rely on number two heating 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 199,461,865 gallons of heating oil delivered to Grafton homes during this past winter, the Grafton community looks to its 41 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 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 area.
