Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sullivan Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Sullivan, used by 212,831 or 37% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Sullivan households is Natural Gas, used by 124,974 homes (22%). The rest of the homes are heated with Propane (21%), Electricity (12%), Wood (6%), and Other (2%).
Sullivan 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 Sullivan
Heating oil has become less popular in Sullivan. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of families using fuel oil declined from 232,674 to 212,831, a 9% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sullivan
Between 2015 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 jumped from 103,292 to 124,974, a 21% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sullivan
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Sullivan. 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 Sullivan
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Sullivan are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 407% gain from 2015, when 488 homes had active solar heating.
Sullivan County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Sullivan County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Sullivan’s overall oil usage changes each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Sullivan was 24.1°F, which was 5.3°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Sullivan County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 29.4° F |
Sullivan County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Sullivan households heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Sullivan plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 7 “full-service” oil companies that serve Sullivan. Full service companies such as Goodrich Oil & Propane Co or Goodrich Oil & Propane Co offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating 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 Sullivan cash heating oil companies serving Sullivan include RE Hinkley Co Inc and Welch Fuel Company.
Sullivan Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Sullivan: 4 companies .
Average Number of Sullivan Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 53208
Sullivan Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 residences in Sullivan heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sullivan temperatures drop as low as 16.9° F each winter. 36.9% of Sullivan houses are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
18.4% of Sullivan County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Sullivan County Households | Sullivan County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.1M | 212,831 |
25 Sullivan Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 199,461,865 gallons of heating oil delivered to Sullivan homeowners the last heating season, the Sullivan community relies on its 25 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 Sullivan, 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 Sullivan and the surrounding vicinity.
