Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Richmond Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Richmond, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Richmond households 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%).
Richmond 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 Richmond
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Richmond. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of homeowners using fuel oil declined from 1,649,860 to 1,103,323, a 33% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Richmond
Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 265,224 to 377,922, a 42% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,202,413 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Richmond
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Richmond. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 808,370 to 1,365,710, a 69% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Richmond
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 Richmond are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 427% gain from 2015, when 3,120 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 number two heating oil consumption fluctuates from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 68 heating oil companies that serve Richmond is an important decision.
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 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 number two heating oil delivery and heating system 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 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 families 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Richmond cash heating oil companies serving Richmond include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Richmond Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Richmond: 68 companies .
Average Number of Richmond Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 16225
Richmond Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Richmond heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Richmond temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Richmond families are reliant on number two 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 |
68 Richmond Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Richmond households last winter, the Richmond community relies on its 68 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 Richmond, 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 Richmond and the surrounding area.
