Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ulster Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Ulster, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Ulster 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%).
Ulster 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 Ulster
Fuel oil has become less popular in Ulster. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of residents using fuel oil decreased from 1,802,442 to 1,103,323, a 39% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ulster
Between 2013 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 259,367 to 377,922, a 46% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,074,510 to 4,725,574, a 16% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ulster
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Ulster. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 764,400 to 1,365,710, a 79% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Ulster
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Ulster are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 551% gain from 2013, when 2,525 homes had active solar heating.
Ulster County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Ulster County homeowners purchased a total of 17 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Ulster’s overall fuel oil usage changes yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Ulster was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Ulster County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Ulster County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Ulster households heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 78 heating oil companies that serve Ulster makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 468 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ulster. Full service companies such as Sunshine Oil & Fuels Inc or Erichsen's Fuel Service Inc Dependable Energy Services offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Ulster cash heating oil companies serving Ulster include Aero Star Petroleum Inc and Upstate Energy Inc.
Ulster Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Ulster: 78 companies .
Average Number of Ulster Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 14145
Ulster Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Ulster heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ulster temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Ulster families depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Ulster County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Ulster County Households | Ulster County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
1076 Ulster Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Ulster houses the last heating season, the Ulster community looks to its 1076 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Ulster, 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 Ulster and the surrounding vicinity.
