Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Kings Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Kings, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Kings residents 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 (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 Kings
Oil has become less popular in Kings. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of homeowners using oil declined from 1,540,787 to 1,103,323, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Kings
Between 2016 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 273,838 to 377,922, a 38% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Kings
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Kings. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Kings
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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 Kings are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes used 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 oil consumption fluctuates from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional 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 households heating with oil, choosing which of the 113 heating oil companies that serve Kings can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford 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 furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Kings cash heating oil companies serving Kings include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Kings Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Kings: 113 companies .
Average Number of Kings Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 9764
Kings Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Kings heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Kings temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Kings houses are reliant on number two 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 |
113 Kings Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Kings homeowners last winter, the Kings community depends on its 113 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 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 area.
