Cheapest Columbia County Heating Oil Price History
Updated Today at 09:17 AM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 02/22/2026 | $3.748 |
| 02/21/2026 | $3.747 |
| 02/20/2026 | $3.747 |
| 02/19/2026 | $3.741 |
| 02/18/2026 | $3.748 |
| 02/17/2026 | $3.758 |
| 02/16/2026 | $3.773 |
| 02/15/2026 | $3.787 |
| 02/14/2026 | $3.787 |
| 02/13/2026 | $3.786 |
| 02/12/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/11/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/10/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/09/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/08/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/07/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/06/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/05/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/04/2026 | $3.680 |
| 02/03/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/02/2026 | $3.699 |
| 02/01/2026 | $3.678 |
| 01/31/2026 | $3.677 |
| 01/30/2026 | $3.676 |
| 01/29/2026 | $3.656 |
| 01/28/2026 | $3.569 |
| 01/27/2026 | $3.349 |
| 01/26/2026 | $3.349 |
| 01/25/2026 | $3.199 |
| 01/24/2026 | $3.199 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Columbia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Columbia, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Columbia homeowners 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%).
Columbia 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 Columbia
Oil has become less popular in Columbia. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of families using oil dipped from 1,279,260 to 1,103,323, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Columbia
Between 2022 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased from 400,969 to 377,922, a 6% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,542,443 to 4,725,574, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Columbia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Columbia. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,190,880 to 1,365,710, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Columbia
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Columbia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 45% gain from 2022, when 11,314 homes had active solar heating.
Columbia County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Columbia County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Columbia’s overall oil use changes from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Columbia was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Columbia County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Columbia County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Columbia homeowners heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 44 heating oil companies that serve Columbia plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 271 “full-service” oil companies that serve Columbia. Full service companies such as Morse Fuels LLC or C A Albright & Sons LLC offer families 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 customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families 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 you're running low. A few of the 2 Columbia cash heating oil companies serving Columbia include Collins & Son Inc and Lucky Petroleum Inc.
Columbia Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Columbia: 44 companies .
Average Number of Columbia Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 25076
Columbia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Columbia heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Columbia temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14% of Columbia households are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
7.03% of Columbia County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Columbia County Households | Columbia County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
427 Columbia Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714.28 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Columbia houses the last heating season, the Columbia community relies on its 427 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Columbia, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Columbia and the surrounding area.
