Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Madison Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Madison, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Madison families 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)
| 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 Madison
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Madison. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of families using oil dropped from 1,293,770 to 1,103,323, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Madison
Between 2021 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel fell from 388,311 to 377,922, a 3% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,489,009 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Madison
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Madison. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 1,118,015 to 1,365,710, a 22% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Madison
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 Madison are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 86% gain from 2021, when 8,858 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 fuel oil usage changes yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Madison County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Madison homeowners heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 9 heating oil companies that serve Madison 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 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC 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 client 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 looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better 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. Examples of 2 Madison cash heating oil companies serving Madison include Jennison Fuels LLC and Nassimos Enterprises LLC.
Madison Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Madison: 9 companies .
Average Number of Madison Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 122591
Madison Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Madison heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Madison temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Madison homes rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Madison County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Madison County Households | Madison County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
115 Madison Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Madison residences last winter, the Madison community relies on its 115 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: 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 residences and companies throughout Madison and the surrounding vicinity.