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 most common choice in Kings, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Kings households is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The other 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
Oil has become less popular in Kings. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of households using fuel oil decreased from 1,496,843 to 1,103,323, a 26% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Kings
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 294,973 to 377,922, a 28% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 4,339,349 to 4,725,574, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Kings
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Kings. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 867,925 to 1,365,710, a 57% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Kings
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 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 correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more fuel 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 homes heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 112 heating oil companies that serve Kings makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients 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 Kings cash heating oil companies serving Kings include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Kings Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Kings: 112 companies .
Average Number of Kings Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 9851
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 households depend on fuel 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Kings households during this past winter, the Kings community relies 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 oil to residences and companies throughout Kings and the surrounding area.
