Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
12/21/2024 | $3.353 |
12/20/2024 | $3.353 |
12/19/2024 | $3.477 |
12/18/2024 | $3.477 |
12/17/2024 | $3.477 |
12/16/2024 | $3.477 |
12/15/2024 | $3.390 |
12/14/2024 | $3.390 |
12/13/2024 | $3.390 |
12/12/2024 | $3.390 |
12/11/2024 | $3.390 |
12/10/2024 | $3.390 |
12/09/2024 | $3.390 |
12/08/2024 | $3.390 |
12/07/2024 | $3.390 |
12/06/2024 | $3.390 |
12/05/2024 | $3.390 |
12/04/2024 | $3.390 |
12/03/2024 | $3.390 |
12/02/2024 | $3.390 |
12/01/2024 | $3.390 |
11/30/2024 | $3.390 |
11/29/2024 | $3.390 |
11/28/2024 | $3.390 |
11/27/2024 | $3.390 |
11/26/2024 | $3.390 |
11/25/2024 | $3.390 |
11/24/2024 | $3.290 |
11/23/2024 | $3.290 |
11/22/2024 | $3.290 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Schenectady County, used by 4,593,346 or 59.99% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Schenectady County homeowners is heating oil, used by 1,379,410 homes (18.02%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (1,040,155), propane (371,184), no fuel (127,077), and other fuels (245,918).
Schenectady County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Schenectady County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 4.5M | 60.0% |
Heating Oil | 1.3M | 18.0% |
Electricity | 1.0M | 13.6% |
Propane | 371,184 | 4.8% |
No Fuel | 127,077 | 1.7% |
Wood | 117,324 | 1.5% |
Other Fuels | 102,644 | 1.3% |
Coal | 17,488 | 0.2% |
Solar | 8,462 | 0.1% |
Natural gas (60.0%)
Heating oil (18.0%)
Electricity (13.6%)
Propane (4.8%)
No fuel (1.7%)
Wood (1.5%)
Other fuels (1.3%)
Coal (0.2%)
Solar (0.1%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Schenectady County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,732,065 to 1,379,410, a 20.36% drop.
Schenectady County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 2.1M |
2012 | 2.0M |
2013 | 1.9M |
2014 | 1.9M |
2015 | 1.8M |
2016 | 1.7M |
2017 | 1.6M |
2018 | 1.5M |
2019 | 1.5M |
2020 | 1.4M |
2021 | 1.4M |
2022 | 1.3M |
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 261,912 to 371,184.
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,161,669 to 4,593,346.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Schenectady County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 801,149 to 1,040,155, a 29.83% increase.
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space 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 in the basement.
Currently, 8,462 homes in Schenectady County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 152.75% increase from 2016, when only 3,348 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Schenectady County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Schenectady County’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Schenectady County, the average outside temperature was 4.8° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Schenectady County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
2024 - 2025 | 45.4° F |
2023 - 2024 | 40.6° F |
For Schenectady County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 36 heating oil companies that serve Schenectady County is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 60 “full-service” oil companies that serve Schenectady County. Full service companies such as Wever Petroleum Inc or Pne Transportation Inc Egelston Oil Company offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Schenectady County homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Schenectady County include J H Buhrmaster Company Inc and MainCare Express.
Schenectady County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Schenectady County: 36 companies
Average Number Of Schenectady County Homes Served Per Company: 146 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Schenectady County Oil Company: 70,786 gallons per year
Approximately 5,288 households in Schenectady County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Schenectady County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
7% of Schenectady County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Schenectady County Households | Schenectady County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
72,524 | 5,288 |
133 Schenectady County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 3 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Schenectady County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Schenectady County community relies on its 133 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Schenectady County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Albany, NY and Apex in Albany, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Schenectady County.