Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Schenectady Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Schenectady, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Schenectady families 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 (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 Schenectady
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Schenectady. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using fuel oil dropped from 1,459,976 to 1,103,323, a 24% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Schenectady
Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 308,020 to 377,922, a 23% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,397,917 to 4,725,574, a 7% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Schenectady
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Schenectady. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 890,554 to 1,365,710, a 53% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Schenectady
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows 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 173% gain from 2018, when 6,022 homes utilized 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 fuel oil use fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 households heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 41 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 select one of the 64 “full-service” oil companies that serve Schenectady. Full service companies such as A-Star Oil LLC or Wever Petroleum Inc offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some 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 Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Schenectady: 41 companies .
Average Number of Schenectady Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 26910
Schenectady Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences 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 homes are reliant on 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 |
143 Schenectady Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Schenectady households during this past winter, the Schenectady community depends on its 143 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 Schenectady, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Schenectady and the surrounding vicinity.
