Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Lewis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Lewis, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Lewis homeowners is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The remaining 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 decreasing in demand in Lewis. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of residents using fuel oil declined 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 homes 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 shot up 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 gaining popularity in Lewis. 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 Lewis
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Lewis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 homes had 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 oil usage changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more heating 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 households heating with number two heating 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 are willing to pay a premium for 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 fuel oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Lewis cash heating oil companies serving Lewis include Philly Fuels Inc and Christman Fuel Service Inc.
Lewis Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Lewis: 3 companies .
Average Number of Lewis Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 367774
Lewis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes 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 houses rely on fuel 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 Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of 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 has two parts to it: 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 #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Lewis and the surrounding area.
