Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Chautauqua Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Chautauqua, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Chautauqua families 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%).
Chautauqua County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number 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 Chautauqua
Oil has become less popular in Chautauqua. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of households using heating oil dipped from 1,540,787 to 1,103,323, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Chautauqua
Between 2016 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 273,838 to 377,922, a 38% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Chautauqua
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Chautauqua. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Chautauqua
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 Chautauqua are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes had active solar heating.
Chautauqua County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Chautauqua County homeowners purchased a total of 130,115 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Chautauqua’s overall number two heating oil consumption varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Chautauqua was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Chautauqua County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Chautauqua County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Chautauqua households heating with heating oil, picking which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Chautauqua can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
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 Chautauqua. Full service companies such as Lictus Keystone Inc or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating 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 client 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 homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Chautauqua cash heating oil companies serving Chautauqua include Tps Supply Corp Tps Petroleum Suppliers and Danielson Oil Company Inc.
Chautauqua Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Chautauqua: 3 companies .
Average Number of Chautauqua Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 367774
Chautauqua Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Chautauqua heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Chautauqua temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Chautauqua homes rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Chautauqua County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Chautauqua County Households | Chautauqua County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
3 Chautauqua Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Chautauqua homes during this past winter, the Chautauqua community relies 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 Chautauqua, 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 Chautauqua and the surrounding region.
