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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Madison Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Families have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Madison, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Madison households 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%).

Madison County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)

YearNatural GasPropaneElectricityOilWoodSolarOther
20254,725,574377,9221,365,7101,103,32392,05416,434100,232
20244,679,558370,9101,292,8681,143,78396,14715,25997,524
20234,581,041402,3351,263,7001,212,850100,01511,208104,369
20224,542,443400,9691,190,8801,279,26099,08011,314103,810
20214,489,009388,3111,118,0151,293,770108,2028,85898,952
20204,504,504353,9441,014,7301,343,665111,1068,77889,024
20194,519,999319,576911,4451,393,560114,0118,69779,096
20184,397,917308,020890,5541,459,976120,1596,02282,621
20174,339,349294,973867,9251,496,843122,0885,98877,386
20164,227,422273,838860,8561,540,787126,8906,53579,479
20154,202,413265,224808,3701,649,860141,0163,12078,999
20144,186,666258,775770,5771,752,656145,0122,57376,963
20134,074,510259,367764,4001,802,442148,4222,52581,841
20124,044,389237,738775,3901,901,118155,6032,16861,429
20114,014,222222,634707,0161,979,067143,2872,72863,609
20103,961,085227,607676,2622,068,004143,2421,82361,664

Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Madison

Oil has become less popular in Madison. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of families using oil declined from 1,143,783 to 1,103,323, a 4% drop.

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Madison

Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 370,910 to 377,922, a 2% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,679,558 to 4,725,574, a 1% change.

Electricity use for home heating in Madison

Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Madison. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,292,868 to 1,365,710, a 6% change.

Adoption of solar home heating systems in Madison

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. Now, 16,434 homes in Madison are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 8% gain from 2024, when 15,259 homes incorporated active solar heating.

Madison County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Madison County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Madison’s overall oil use changes yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Madison was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Madison County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
2024 - 202528.1° F
2023 - 202433.5° F

Madison County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Madison families heating with heating oil, picking which of the 9 heating oil companies that serve Madison makes a big difference.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 21 “full-service” oil companies that serve Madison. Full service companies such as Thermo Petroleum Products Inc or Broedel Fuel Group LLC offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Madison cash heating oil companies serving Madison include Jennison Fuels LLC and Nassimos Enterprises LLC.

Madison Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Madison: 9 companies .
Average Number of Madison Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 122591

Madison Heating Oil Delivery Overview

1,103,323 homes in Madison heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Madison temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Madison houses depend on heating oil delivery each winter.

7% of Madison County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Madison County HouseholdsMadison County Heating Oil Households
15.6M1.1M

115 Madison Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community

With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Madison homes the last heating season, the Madison community looks to its 115 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 Madison, 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 Madison and the surrounding region.