Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Saratoga 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 Saratoga, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Saratoga homeowners is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Saratoga 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 Saratoga
Oil has become less frequently used in Saratoga. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil declined from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Saratoga
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up 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 Saratoga
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Saratoga. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Saratoga
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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 Saratoga are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes utilized active solar heating.
Saratoga County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Saratoga County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Saratoga’s overall oil consumption fluctuates from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn additional fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Saratoga was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Saratoga County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Saratoga County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Saratoga homeowners heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 45 heating oil companies that serve Saratoga is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 120 “full-service” oil companies that serve Saratoga. Full service companies such as Wever Petroleum Inc or Pne Transportation Inc Egelston Oil Company offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace 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 homeowner 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower 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 Saratoga cash heating oil companies serving Saratoga include J H Buhrmaster Company Inc and MainCare Express.
Saratoga Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Saratoga: 45 companies .
Average Number of Saratoga Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 24518
Saratoga Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Saratoga heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Saratoga temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Saratoga households depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Saratoga County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Saratoga County Households | Saratoga County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
309 Saratoga Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Saratoga houses the last heating season, the Saratoga community depends on its 309 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 Saratoga, 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 Saratoga and the surrounding region.
