Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Schoharie Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Schoharie, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Schoharie residents 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%).
Schoharie 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 Schoharie
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Schoharie. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using oil declined from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Schoharie
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,504,504 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Schoharie
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Schoharie. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Schoharie
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Schoharie are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Schoharie County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Schoharie County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Schoharie’s overall oil use fluctuates yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Schoharie was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Schoharie County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Schoharie County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Schoharie residences heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Schoharie plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 63 “full-service” oil companies that serve Schoharie. Full service companies such as Pne Transportation Inc Egelston Oil Company or Grantier Oil Company Inc offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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: Often called “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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Schoharie cash heating oil companies serving Schoharie include Countryside Management Corp Countryside Fuels and A & M Middleburgh Oil LLC.
Schoharie Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Schoharie: 22 companies .
Average Number of Schoharie Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 50151
Schoharie Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Schoharie heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Schoharie temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Schoharie families depend on oil delivery each winter.
7% of Schoharie County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Schoharie County Households | Schoharie County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
145 Schoharie Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Schoharie families the last heating season, the Schoharie community looks to its 145 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 Schoharie, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Schoharie and the surrounding vicinity.
