Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Richmond Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Richmond, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Richmond 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%).
Richmond 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 Richmond
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Richmond. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of households using heating oil decreased from 1,496,843 to 1,103,323, a 26% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Richmond
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 294,973 to 377,922, a 28% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,339,349 to 4,725,574, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Richmond
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Richmond. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 867,925 to 1,365,710, a 57% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Richmond
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Richmond are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Richmond County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Richmond County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Richmond’s overall fuel oil usage varies each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Richmond was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Richmond County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Richmond County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Richmond homes heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 69 heating oil companies that serve Richmond makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 28 “full-service” oil companies that serve Richmond. Full service companies such as Winston Oil Co Inc or The Energy Conservation Group LLC Skaggs Walsh offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 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 when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Richmond cash heating oil companies serving Richmond include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Richmond Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Richmond: 69 companies .
Average Number of Richmond Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 15990
Richmond Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Richmond heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Richmond temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Richmond homes are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Richmond County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Richmond County Households | Richmond County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
69 Richmond Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Richmond residences during this past winter, the Richmond community depends on its 69 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Richmond, 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 Richmond and the surrounding region.
