Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Chautauqua Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Chautauqua, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Chautauqua homeowners 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%).
Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua
Oil has become losing popularity in Chautauqua. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of homeowners using oil decreased from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Chautauqua
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 319,576 to 377,922, a 18% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Chautauqua
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Chautauqua. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Chautauqua
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 Chautauqua are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes used 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 heating oil use changes from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 homes heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Chautauqua is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Chautauqua. Full service companies such as Lictus Keystone Inc or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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: Also known by the names “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 oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. 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 Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Chautauqua: 3 companies .
Average Number of Chautauqua Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 367774
Chautauqua Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Chautauqua heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Chautauqua temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Chautauqua households depend on 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Chautauqua households during this past winter, the Chautauqua community relies on its 3 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: 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 residences and companies throughout Chautauqua and the surrounding region.
