Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hamilton Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Hamilton, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hamilton families 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%).
Hamilton 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 Hamilton
Oil has become less popular in Hamilton. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of households using heating oil declined from 1,802,442 to 1,103,323, a 39% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hamilton
Between 2013 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 shot up from 4,074,510 to 4,725,574, a 16% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hamilton
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Hamilton. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 764,400 to 1,365,710, a 79% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hamilton
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Hamilton are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 551% gain from 2013, when 2,525 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Hamilton County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Hamilton County homeowners purchased a total of 438,054 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Hamilton’s overall number two heating oil use fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Hamilton was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Hamilton County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Hamilton County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Hamilton homes heating with oil, choosing which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Hamilton plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 4 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hamilton. Full service companies such as Helmers Fuel & Trucking Inc or Raquette Lake Supply Co Inc offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler 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 household 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 homeowners who are on a budget. 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. Examples of 2 Hamilton cash heating oil companies serving Hamilton include Clark Energy LLC and Clark Energy LLC.
Hamilton Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Hamilton: 8 companies .
Average Number of Hamilton Households Served per Heating Oil company : 137915
Hamilton Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Hamilton heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hamilton temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Hamilton houses rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Hamilton County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Hamilton County Households | Hamilton County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
11 Hamilton Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Hamilton residences last winter, the Hamilton community looks to its 11 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Hamilton, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Hamilton and the surrounding area.
