Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Saratoga Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Saratoga, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Saratoga families 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%).
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
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Saratoga. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of households using heating oil fell from 1,143,783 to 1,103,323, a 4% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Saratoga
Between 2024 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 370,910 to 377,922, a 2% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,679,558 to 4,725,574, a 1% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Saratoga
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Saratoga. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,292,868 to 1,365,710, a 6% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Saratoga
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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Saratoga are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 8% gain from 2024, when 15,259 homes used 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 number two heating oil use varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 homes heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 45 heating oil companies that serve Saratoga makes a big difference.
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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are looking to save money. 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Saratoga cash heating oil companies serving Saratoga include J H Buhrmaster Company Inc and MainCare Express.
Saratoga Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Saratoga: 45 companies .
Average Number of Saratoga Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 24518
Saratoga Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Saratoga heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Saratoga temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Saratoga houses rely 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Saratoga households during this past winter, the Saratoga community relies on its 309 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 Saratoga, 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 Saratoga and the surrounding area.
