Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Richmond Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners 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 households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Richmond homeowners 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
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Richmond. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of households using number two heating oil decreased from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Richmond
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 319,576 to 377,922, a 18% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Richmond
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Richmond. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% 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. Today, 16,434 homes in Richmond are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes utilized 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 oil consumption changes each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional 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 families heating with oil, picking which of the 69 heating oil companies that serve Richmond is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and HVAC 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Richmond cash heating oil companies serving Richmond include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
Richmond Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Richmond: 69 companies .
Average Number of Richmond Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 15990
Richmond Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Richmond heat their homes with 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 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Richmond houses last winter, the Richmond community depends on its 69 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 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 vicinity.
