Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sullivan Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Sullivan, used by 212,831 or 37% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Sullivan homeowners 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 (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 Sullivan
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Sullivan. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using oil declined from 223,224 to 212,831, a 5% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sullivan
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 ramped up from 118,607 to 124,974, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sullivan
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Sullivan. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 56,313 to 70,926, a 26% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sullivan
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 Sullivan are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 225% gain from 2020, when 761 homes used 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 number two heating oil consumption changes annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, picking which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Sullivan makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Sullivan cash heating oil companies serving Sullivan include RE Hinkley Co Inc and Welch Fuel Company.
Sullivan Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Sullivan: 4 companies .
Average Number of Sullivan Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 53208
Sullivan Heating Oil Delivery Overview
212,831 houses 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 residences depend on 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 199,461,865 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Sullivan households last winter, the Sullivan community depends on its 25 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Sullivan, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Gulf in Chelsea, MA. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Sullivan and the surrounding area.
