Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Montgomery Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Montgomery, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Montgomery residents is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Montgomery 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 Montgomery
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in Montgomery. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using oil dipped from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Montgomery
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,504,504 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 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% 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. Today, 16,434 homes in Montgomery are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 homes utilized 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 number two heating oil consumption varies each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of fuel 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 families heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 23 heating oil companies that serve Montgomery can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
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 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 heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the 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 Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Montgomery: 23 companies .
Average Number of Montgomery Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 47971
Montgomery Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households 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 homes are reliant on 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 Serving The Community
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Montgomery residences during this past winter, the Montgomery community depends on its 117 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Montgomery and the surrounding area.
