Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Putnam Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Putnam, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Putnam 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%).
Putnam 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 Putnam
Fuel oil has become less popular in Putnam. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of households using fuel oil declined from 1,212,850 to 1,103,323, a 9% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Putnam
Between 2023 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 402,335 to 377,922, a 6% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,581,041 to 4,725,574, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Putnam
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Putnam. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,263,700 to 1,365,710, a 8% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Putnam
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 Putnam are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 47% gain from 2023, when 11,208 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Putnam County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Putnam County homeowners purchased a total of 10 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Putnam’s overall heating oil consumption fluctuates annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Putnam was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Putnam County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Putnam County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Putnam residences heating with oil, choosing which of the 72 heating oil companies that serve Putnam can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 246 “full-service” oil companies that serve Putnam. Full service companies such as Action Fuel Oil Corp or People's Oil offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 clients 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 when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Putnam cash heating oil companies serving Putnam include Outlaw Oil LLC and Prestige Oil Inc.
Putnam Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Putnam: 72 companies .
Average Number of Putnam Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 15324
Putnam Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Putnam heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Putnam temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Putnam houses are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Putnam County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Putnam County Households | Putnam County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
401 Putnam Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Putnam homes during this past winter, the Putnam community looks to its 401 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Putnam, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Putnam and the surrounding area.
