Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Grafton Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used 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 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
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Grafton. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of residents using fuel oil dropped from 221,554 to 212,831, a 4% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Grafton
Between 2023 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 ramped up from 118,533 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 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 64,436 to 70,926, a 10% 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. Today, 2,474 homes in Grafton are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 60% gain from 2023, when 1,544 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 consumption changes each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more 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 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients 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 Grafton cash heating oil companies serving Grafton include Kmj Precision Fuels Inc and Presby Energy Inc.
Grafton Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Grafton: 13 companies .
Average Number of Grafton Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 16372
Grafton Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 homes 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 households depend on 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 Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 199,461,865 gallons of oil delivered to Grafton houses the last heating season, the Grafton community relies on its 41 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 oil to residences and companies throughout Grafton and the surrounding vicinity.
