Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Montgomery Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Montgomery, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Montgomery residents 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
Oil has become losing popularity in Montgomery. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of families using heating oil dipped from 1,279,260 to 1,103,323, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Montgomery
Between 2022 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased from 400,969 to 377,922, a 6% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,542,443 to 4,725,574, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Montgomery
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Montgomery. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 1,190,880 to 1,365,710, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Montgomery
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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Montgomery are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 45% gain from 2022, when 11,314 homes incorporated 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 heating oil consumption changes each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 homeowners heating with oil, choosing which of the 23 heating oil companies that serve Montgomery 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 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 homeowners 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 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 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 Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 47971
Montgomery Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Montgomery heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Montgomery temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Montgomery homes rely on number two heating 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 Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Montgomery residences during this past winter, the Montgomery community relies on its 117 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 Montgomery, 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 residences and companies throughout Montgomery and the surrounding vicinity.
