Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Putnam 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 Putnam, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Putnam households 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 (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 Putnam
Fuel oil has become less popular in Putnam. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of residents using number two heating oil dipped 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 households 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 rose 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 increasing in demand in Putnam. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up 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 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. Now, 16,434 homes in Putnam are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 47% gain from 2023, when 11,208 homes used 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 use varies each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homeowners heating with heating oil, picking which of the 72 heating oil companies that serve Putnam can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 budget-conscious. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Putnam cash heating oil companies serving Putnam include Outlaw Oil LLC and Prestige Oil Inc.
Putnam Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Putnam: 72 companies .
Average Number of Putnam Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 15324
Putnam Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Putnam heat their homes with 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 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 Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Putnam families last winter, the Putnam community depends on its 401 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery is a two step process: 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 residences and companies throughout Putnam and the surrounding area.
