Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Cayuga Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Cayuga, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Cayuga households is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Cayuga 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 Cayuga
Heating oil has become less popular in Cayuga. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of residents using oil dipped from 1,649,860 to 1,103,323, a 33% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Cayuga
Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 265,224 to 377,922, a 42% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,202,413 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Cayuga
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Cayuga. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 808,370 to 1,365,710, a 69% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Cayuga
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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, 16,434 homes in Cayuga are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 427% gain from 2015, when 3,120 homes used active solar heating.
Cayuga County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Cayuga County homeowners purchased a total of 551,303 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Cayuga’s overall fuel oil use fluctuates yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Cayuga was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Cayuga County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Cayuga County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Cayuga households heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Cayuga makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Cayuga. Full service companies such as E And V Energy Corporation or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 customers who are on a budget. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Cayuga cash heating oil companies serving Cayuga include Vannorstrand Oil Company LLC and Vannorstrand Oil Company LLC.
Cayuga Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Cayuga: 2 companies .
Average Number of Cayuga Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 551662
Cayuga Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Cayuga heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Cayuga temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Cayuga residences rely on oil delivery each winter.
7% of Cayuga County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Cayuga County Households | Cayuga County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
3 Cayuga Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Cayuga homeowners the last heating season, the Cayuga community depends on its 3 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Cayuga, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Cayuga and the surrounding region.
