Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Schenectady Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Schenectady, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Schenectady homeowners 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%).
Schenectady 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 Schenectady
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Schenectady. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of residents using number two heating oil fell from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Schenectady
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 ramped up from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Schenectady
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Schenectady. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Schenectady
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 Schenectady are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Schenectady County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Schenectady County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Schenectady’s overall oil usage fluctuates from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Schenectady was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Schenectady County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Schenectady County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Schenectady homes heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Schenectady makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 63 “full-service” oil companies that serve Schenectady. Full service companies such as Wever Petroleum Inc or Pne Transportation Inc Egelston Oil Company offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating 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 homeowner 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 budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Schenectady cash heating oil companies serving Schenectady include J H Buhrmaster Company Inc and MainCare Express.
Schenectady Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Schenectady: 40 companies .
Average Number of Schenectady Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 27583
Schenectady Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Schenectady heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Schenectady temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Schenectady households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Schenectady County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Schenectady County Households | Schenectady County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
142 Schenectady Number Two Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Schenectady residences during this past winter, the Schenectady community looks to its 142 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 Schenectady, 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 Schenectady and the surrounding area.
