Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Yates Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Yates, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Yates homeowners 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%).
Yates 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 Yates
Fuel oil has become less popular in Yates. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of residents using oil fell from 1,649,860 to 1,103,323, a 33% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Yates
Between 2015 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 265,224 to 377,922, a 42% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,202,413 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Yates
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Yates. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 808,370 to 1,365,710, a 69% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Yates
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 Yates are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 427% gain from 2015, when 3,120 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Yates County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Yates County homeowners purchased a total of 16,867 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Yates’s overall fuel oil usage changes yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Yates was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Yates County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Yates County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Yates households heating with oil, selecting which of the 1 heating oil companies that serve Yates plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Yates. Full service companies such as or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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 households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the 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 1 Yates cash heating oil companies serving Yates include Rushco Incorporated and .
Yates Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Yates: 1 companies .
Average Number of Yates Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 1103323
Yates Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Yates heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Yates temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Yates homes are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Yates County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Yates County Households | Yates County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
1 Yates Number Two Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Yates households last winter, the Yates community looks to its 1 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 Yates, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Yates and the surrounding area.
