Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Oswego County Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Oswego County, used by 3,119,786 or 64.85% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Oswego 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).
Oswego County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Oswego 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 Oswego County
Heating oil has become less popular in Oswego County. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 132,252 to 100,023, a 24.37% drop.
Oswego 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 Oswego County
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 248,927 to 272,855.
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,078,517 to 3,119,786.
Electricity use for home heating in Oswego County
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Oswego County. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 957,069 to 1,213,218, a 26.76% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Oswego 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 Oswego County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 28.23% increase from 2012, when only 882 homes had installed active solar heating.
