Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Allegany Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Allegany, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Allegany residents is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Allegany County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,725,574 | 377,922 | 1,365,710 | 1,103,323 | 92,054 | 16,434 | 100,232 |
| 2024 | 4,679,558 | 370,910 | 1,292,868 | 1,143,783 | 96,147 | 15,259 | 97,524 |
| 2023 | 4,581,041 | 402,335 | 1,263,700 | 1,212,850 | 100,015 | 11,208 | 104,369 |
| 2022 | 4,542,443 | 400,969 | 1,190,880 | 1,279,260 | 99,080 | 11,314 | 103,810 |
| 2021 | 4,489,009 | 388,311 | 1,118,015 | 1,293,770 | 108,202 | 8,858 | 98,952 |
| 2020 | 4,504,504 | 353,944 | 1,014,730 | 1,343,665 | 111,106 | 8,778 | 89,024 |
| 2019 | 4,519,999 | 319,576 | 911,445 | 1,393,560 | 114,011 | 8,697 | 79,096 |
| 2018 | 4,397,917 | 308,020 | 890,554 | 1,459,976 | 120,159 | 6,022 | 82,621 |
| 2017 | 4,339,349 | 294,973 | 867,925 | 1,496,843 | 122,088 | 5,988 | 77,386 |
| 2016 | 4,227,422 | 273,838 | 860,856 | 1,540,787 | 126,890 | 6,535 | 79,479 |
| 2015 | 4,202,413 | 265,224 | 808,370 | 1,649,860 | 141,016 | 3,120 | 78,999 |
| 2014 | 4,186,666 | 258,775 | 770,577 | 1,752,656 | 145,012 | 2,573 | 76,963 |
| 2013 | 4,074,510 | 259,367 | 764,400 | 1,802,442 | 148,422 | 2,525 | 81,841 |
| 2012 | 4,044,389 | 237,738 | 775,390 | 1,901,118 | 155,603 | 2,168 | 61,429 |
| 2011 | 4,014,222 | 222,634 | 707,016 | 1,979,067 | 143,287 | 2,728 | 63,609 |
| 2010 | 3,961,085 | 227,607 | 676,262 | 2,068,004 | 143,242 | 1,823 | 61,664 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Allegany
Oil has become losing popularity in Allegany. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of families using oil dipped from 1,752,656 to 1,103,323, a 37% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Allegany
Between 2014 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 258,775 to 377,922, a 46% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 4,186,666 to 4,725,574, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Allegany
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Allegany. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 770,577 to 1,365,710, a 77% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Allegany
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. Now, 16,434 homes in Allegany are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 539% gain from 2014, when 2,573 homes utilized active solar heating.
Allegany County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Allegany County homeowners purchased a total of 163,849 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Allegany’s overall number two heating oil use changes each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Allegany was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Allegany County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Allegany County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Allegany homes heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Allegany can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Allegany. Full service companies such as Rinker Oil Corporation or Shorts Oil Company Inc offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 0 Allegany cash heating oil companies serving Allegany include and .
Allegany Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Allegany: 2 companies .
Average Number of Allegany Households Served per Heating Oil company : 551662
Allegany Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Allegany heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Allegany temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Allegany households depend on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Allegany County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Allegany County Households | Allegany County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
2 Allegany Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Allegany homeowners last winter, the Allegany community relies on its 2 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Allegany, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Allegany and the surrounding region.
