Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Schenectady Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used 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 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%).
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 4 years since 2021, the number of residents using oil dropped from 1,293,770 to 1,103,323, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Schenectady
Between 2021 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel dropped from 388,311 to 377,922, a 3% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,489,009 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 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,118,015 to 1,365,710, a 22% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Schenectady
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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Schenectady are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 86% gain from 2021, when 8,858 homes had 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 heating oil consumption changes each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of number two 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 families heating with oil, selecting which of the 41 heating oil companies that serve Schenectady makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two 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 household 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 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 A-Star Oil LLC and J H Buhrmaster Company Inc.
Schenectady Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Schenectady: 41 companies .
Average Number of Schenectady Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 26910
Schenectady Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Schenectady heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Schenectady temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Schenectady families rely on number two heating 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Schenectady residences last winter, the Schenectady community relies on its 143 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 homes and businesses throughout Schenectady and the surrounding area.
