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Rhode Island Heating Oil Price Trends

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

Time HorizonPrice Change
1 Week Trend+$0.026
1 Month Trend+$0.095
1 Year Trend-$0.152

Rhode Island Heating Oil Price History

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

DateAverage Oil Price
12/10/2024$2.942
12/09/2024$2.942
12/06/2024$2.948
12/05/2024$2.948
12/04/2024$2.915
12/03/2024$2.887
12/02/2024$2.916
11/29/2024$2.906
11/28/2024$2.975
11/27/2024$2.975
11/26/2024$2.969
11/25/2024$2.981
11/22/2024$2.872
11/21/2024$2.854
11/20/2024$2.888
11/19/2024$2.926
11/18/2024$2.918
11/15/2024$2.847
11/14/2024$2.869
11/13/2024$2.827
11/12/2024$2.871
11/11/2024$2.866
11/08/2024$2.847
11/07/2024$2.847
11/06/2024$2.847
11/05/2024$2.847
11/04/2024$2.847
11/01/2024$2.847
10/31/2024$2.847
10/30/2024$2.848

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Rhode Island Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Rhode Island, used by 238,742 or 54.26% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Rhode Island homeowners is heating oil, used by 123,813 homes (28.14%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (48,633), propane (20,429), wood (6,316), and other fuels (5,741).

Rhode Island Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelRhode Island Households % of Households
Natural Gas238,74254.3%
Heating Oil123,81328.1%
Electricity48,63311.1%
Propane20,4294.6%
Wood6,3161.4%
Other Fuels2,9060.7%
No Fuel2,2740.5%
Solar3680.1%
Coal1930.0%

Natural gas (54.3%)

Heating oil (28.1%)

Electricity (11.1%)

Propane (4.6%)

Wood (1.4%)

Other fuels (0.7%)

No fuel (0.5%)

Solar (0.1%)

Coal (0.0%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Rhode Island

Heating oil has become less popular in Rhode Island. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 153,479 to 123,813, a 19.33% drop.

Rhode Island Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011157,426
2012153,479
2013147,768
2014142,612
2015137,451
2016132,040
2017128,844
2018125,460
2019122,583
2020121,062
2021122,289
2022123,813

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Rhode Island

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 8,204 to 20,429.

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 204,763 to 238,742.

Electricity use for home heating in Rhode Island

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Rhode Island. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 35,300 to 48,633, a 37.77% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Rhode Island

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, 368 homes in Rhode Island are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 384.21% increase from 2012, when only 76 homes had installed active solar heating.

Rhode Island Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Rhode Island homeowners purchased a total of 92 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Rhode Island’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Rhode Island, the average outside temperature was 15.8° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Rhode Island Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2023 - 202452.4° F
Winter 2022 - 202336.6° F

Rhode Island Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Rhode Island homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 49 heating oil companies that serve Rhode Island is an important decision.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 14 “full-service” oil companies that serve Rhode Island. Full service companies such as Dudek Oil or Wildcat Oil Co offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.

Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Rhode Island homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Rhode Island include Helger's United Oil Co and Anchor Fuel Oil Inc.

Rhode Island Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Rhode Island: 49 companies

Average Number Of Rhode Island Homes Served Per Company: 2,526 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Rhode Island Oil Company: 1,875,324 gallons per year

Rhode Island Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 123,513 households in Rhode Island heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Rhode Island temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

28% of Rhode Island Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Rhode Island HouseholdsRhode Island Heating Oil Households
439,442123,513

49 Rhode Island Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 92 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Rhode Island homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Rhode Island community relies on its 49 oil companies to keep warm.

Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Rhode Island, two of the closest terminals are Shell in Providence, RI and Sprague in Providence, RI. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Rhode Island.