Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Washington Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Washington, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Washington residents 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%).
Washington 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 Washington
Oil has become less popular in Washington. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of homeowners using oil decreased from 1,901,118 to 1,103,323, a 42% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Washington
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 237,738 to 377,922, a 59% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 4,044,389 to 4,725,574, a 17% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Washington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Washington. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 775,390 to 1,365,710, a 76% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Washington
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Washington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 658% gain from 2012, when 2,168 homes used active solar heating.
Washington County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Washington County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Washington’s overall number two heating oil use fluctuates each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Washington was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Washington County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Washington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Washington homeowners heating with heating oil, picking which of the 26 heating oil companies that serve Washington is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 77 “full-service” oil companies that serve Washington. Full service companies such as Gf Heating Oil LLC or Wever Petroleum Inc offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel 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: 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 number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Washington cash heating oil companies serving Washington include Sweet's Fuel Service Inc and Richards Fuels Inc Richard Fuels.
Washington Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Washington: 26 companies .
Average Number of Washington Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 42436
Washington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Washington heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Washington temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Washington residences are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Washington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Washington County Households | Washington County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
192 Washington Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Washington houses last winter, the Washington community relies on its 192 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Washington, 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 Washington and the surrounding vicinity.
