Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Essex, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Essex homeowners is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Essex 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 Essex
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Essex. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of households using fuel oil dropped from 1,143,783 to 1,103,323, a 4% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 370,910 to 377,922, a 2% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,679,558 to 4,725,574, a 1% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Essex. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,292,868 to 1,365,710, a 6% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Essex
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows 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 8% gain from 2024, when 15,259 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 number two heating oil use varies yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 homeowners heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Essex makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic fuel 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: also referred to as “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 fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Essex cash heating oil companies serving Essex include Au Sable Valley Fuel Incorporated Gordon Oil and Church Oil Co Inc.
Essex Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Essex: 8 companies .
Average Number of Essex Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 137915
Essex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences 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. 14.2% of Essex homes depend on oil delivery each winter.
7% 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 Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Essex houses last winter, the Essex community relies on its 18 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 Essex, 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 homes and businesses throughout Essex and the surrounding vicinity.
