Cheapest Essex County Heating Oil Price History
Updated on March 3, 2026 at 01:00 PM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 03/03/2026 | $4.033 |
| 03/02/2026 | $3.862 |
| 03/01/2026 | $3.777 |
| 02/28/2026 | $3.777 |
| 02/27/2026 | $3.777 |
| 02/26/2026 | $3.784 |
| 02/25/2026 | $3.783 |
| 02/24/2026 | $3.777 |
| 02/23/2026 | $3.766 |
| 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 | $3.790 |
| 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 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Essex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Essex, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Essex 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%).
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
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Essex. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using number two heating oil dropped from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Essex
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 shot up from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Essex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Essex. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Essex
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes utilized 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 fuel oil usage varies yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more 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 oil, choosing 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 value 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 customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 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 Statistics: Number two 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 houses in Essex heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Essex temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14% of Essex houses are reliant on heating 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714.28 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Essex homes the last heating season, the Essex community relies on its 18 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 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.
