Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hampshire County Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Hampshire County, used by 3,119,786 or 64.85% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Hampshire County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,213,218 homes (25.22%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (272,855), heating oil (100,023), wood (81,253), and other fuels (43,475).
Hampshire County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Hampshire County Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 3.1M | 64.9% |
| Electricity | 1.2M | 25.2% |
| Propane | 272,855 | 5.7% |
| Heating Oil | 100,023 | 2.1% |
| Wood | 81,253 | 1.7% |
| Other Fuels | 43,475 | 0.9% |
| No Fuel | 27,402 | 0.6% |
| Coal | 3,017 | 0.1% |
| Solar | 1,131 | 0.0% |
Natural gas (64.9%)
Electricity (25.2%)
Propane (5.7%)
Heating oil (2.1%)
Wood (1.7%)
Other fuels (0.9%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Coal (0.1%)
Solar (0.0%)
#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Hampshire County
Heating oil has become less popular in Hampshire County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 141,038 to 100,023, a 29.08% drop.
Hampshire County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
| Year | Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 141,038 |
| 2012 | 132,252 |
| 2013 | 125,428 |
| 2014 | 119,022 |
| 2015 | 113,013 |
| 2016 | 107,419 |
| 2017 | 104,197 |
| 2018 | 101,487 |
| 2019 | 99,323 |
| 2020 | 95,712 |
| 2021 | 92,977 |
| 2022 | 100,023 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hampshire County
Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 253,422 to 272,855.
Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,092,039 to 3,119,786.
Electricity use for home heating in Hampshire County
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Hampshire County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 934,266 to 1,213,218, a 29.86% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Hampshire County
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.
Currently, 1,131 homes in Hampshire County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 28.09% increase from 2011, when only 883 homes had installed active solar heating.
