Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Kings Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Kings, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Kings households 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%).
Kings 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 Kings
Fuel oil has become less popular in Kings. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of residents using oil dipped from 1,279,260 to 1,103,323, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Kings
Between 2022 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel declined 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 increased from 4,542,443 to 4,725,574, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Kings
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Kings. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,190,880 to 1,365,710, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Kings
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. Now, 16,434 homes in Kings are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 45% gain from 2022, when 11,314 homes utilized active solar heating.
Kings County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Kings County homeowners purchased a total of 36 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Kings’s overall heating oil use fluctuates yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Kings was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Kings County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Kings County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Kings homeowners heating with oil, choosing which of the 112 heating oil companies that serve Kings can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 50 “full-service” oil companies that serve Kings. Full service companies such as L & Son Heat Ac Tech Corp or The Carsedge Solutions Inc offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are looking to save money. 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. Some of the 2 Kings cash heating oil companies serving Kings include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Kings Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Kings: 112 companies .
Average Number of Kings Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 9851
Kings Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Kings heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Kings temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Kings residences rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Kings County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Kings County Households | Kings County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
112 Kings Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Kings families last winter, the Kings community depends on its 112 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 Kings, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Kings and the surrounding region.
