Cheapest Essex County Heating Oil Price History
Updated on February 21, 2026 at 01:00 PM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 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 | $3.790 |
| 02/11/2026 | $3.789 |
| 02/10/2026 | $3.784 |
| 02/09/2026 | $3.779 |
| 02/08/2026 | $3.770 |
| 02/07/2026 | $3.773 |
| 02/06/2026 | $3.778 |
| 02/05/2026 | $3.769 |
| 02/04/2026 | $3.759 |
| 02/03/2026 | $3.757 |
| 02/02/2026 | $3.760 |
| 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 | $3.497 |
| 01/26/2026 | $3.406 |
| 01/25/2026 | $3.339 |
| 01/24/2026 | $3.340 |
| 01/23/2026 | $3.340 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Essex, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Essex 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%).
Essex 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 Essex
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Essex. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of families using fuel oil decreased from 1,802,442 to 1,103,323, a 39% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
Between 2013 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 259,367 to 377,922, a 46% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,074,510 to 4,725,574, a 16% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Essex. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 764,400 to 1,365,710, a 79% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Essex
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 Essex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 551% gain from 2013, when 2,525 homes had active solar heating.
Essex County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Essex County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Essex’s overall heating oil usage varies each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Essex was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Essex County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Essex County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Essex homes heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Essex plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 11 “full-service” oil companies that serve Essex. Full service companies such as Leroux Enterprises LLC or PJ Hyde & Son Inc offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Essex cash heating oil companies serving Essex include Au Sable Valley Fuel Incorporated Gordon Oil and Church Oil Co Inc.
Essex Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Essex: 8 companies .
Average Number of Essex Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 137915
Essex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Essex heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Essex temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14% of Essex households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7.03% of Essex County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Essex County Households | Essex County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
18 Essex Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714.28 gallons of heating oil delivered to Essex households during this past winter, the Essex community depends on its 18 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Essex, 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 Essex and the surrounding region.
