Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Montgomery Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Montgomery, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Montgomery households 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%).
Montgomery 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 Montgomery
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Montgomery. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 1,293,770 to 1,103,323, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Montgomery
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel dropped 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 increased from 4,489,009 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Montgomery
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Montgomery. 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 Montgomery
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. Now, 16,434 homes in Montgomery are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 86% gain from 2021, when 8,858 homes used active solar heating.
Montgomery County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Montgomery County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Montgomery’s overall fuel oil usage varies each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Montgomery was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Montgomery County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Montgomery County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Montgomery households heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 23 heating oil companies that serve Montgomery is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 56 “full-service” oil companies that serve Montgomery. Full service companies such as Pne Transportation Inc Egelston Oil Company or James H Sprung Elocin Oil Co offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. 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 you're running low. Examples of 2 Montgomery cash heating oil companies serving Montgomery include Countryside Management Corp Countryside Fuels and Neri Oil Company Inc.
Montgomery Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Montgomery: 23 companies .
Average Number of Montgomery Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 47971
Montgomery Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Montgomery heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Montgomery temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Montgomery families are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Montgomery County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Montgomery County Households | Montgomery County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
117 Montgomery Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Montgomery households last winter, the Montgomery community relies on its 117 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Montgomery, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Montgomery and the surrounding vicinity.
