Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Lewis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Lewis, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Lewis 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%).
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
Fuel oil has become less popular in Lewis. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of homeowners using oil dipped from 1,496,843 to 1,103,323, a 26% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Lewis
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 Lewis
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Lewis. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 867,925 to 1,365,710, a 57% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Lewis
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Lewis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 homes used 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 heating oil usage varies each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Lewis 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 choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lewis. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 households who are on a budget. 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 Lewis cash heating oil companies serving Lewis include Philly Fuels Inc and Christman Fuel Service Inc.
Lewis Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Lewis: 3 companies .
Average Number of Lewis Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 367774
Lewis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Lewis heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Lewis temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Lewis residences are reliant 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Lewis homeowners during this past winter, the Lewis community depends on its 3 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Lewis and the surrounding area.
