Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Lewis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Lewis, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Lewis homeowners 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%).
Lewis 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 Lewis
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Lewis. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of households using fuel oil declined from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Lewis
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 Lewis
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Lewis. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Lewis
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 Lewis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Lewis County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Lewis County homeowners purchased a total of 76,623 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Lewis’s overall fuel oil consumption changes each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems 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 Lewis was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Lewis County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Lewis County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Lewis residences heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Lewis can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lewis. Full service companies such as or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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: 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 return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Lewis cash heating oil companies serving Lewis include Philly Fuels Inc and Christman Fuel Service Inc.
Lewis Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Lewis: 3 companies .
Average Number of Lewis Households Served per Heating Oil company : 367774
Lewis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Lewis heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Lewis temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Lewis households rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Lewis County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Lewis County Households | Lewis County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
3 Lewis Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Lewis homes last winter, the Lewis community depends on its 3 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Lewis, 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 homes and businesses throughout Lewis and the surrounding area.
