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South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Price Trends

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

Time HorizonPrice Change
1 Week Trend-$0.006
1 Year Trend-$0.133

South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Price History

Updated Today at 12:00 AM

DateAverage Oil Price
12/10/2024$3.160
12/09/2024$3.160
12/08/2024$3.160
12/07/2024$3.160
12/06/2024$3.170
12/05/2024$3.180
12/04/2024$3.180
12/03/2024$3.140
12/02/2024$3.110
12/01/2024$3.100
11/30/2024$3.100
11/29/2024$3.140
11/28/2024$3.130
11/27/2024$3.100
11/26/2024$3.060
11/25/2024$3.090
11/24/2024$3.080
11/23/2024$3.080
11/22/2024$3.070
11/21/2024$3.100
11/20/2024$3.110
11/19/2024$3.100
11/18/2024$3.090
11/17/2024$3.050
11/16/2024$3.050
11/15/2024$3.060
11/14/2024$3.070
11/13/2024$3.070
11/12/2024$3.070
11/11/2024$3.100

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: South Shore Massachusetts Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in South Shore Massachusetts, used by 254,682 or 51.79% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for South Shore Massachusetts homeowners is heating oil, used by 136,386 homes (27.74%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (73,539), propane (22,139), wood (3,474), and other fuels (6,255).

South Shore Massachusetts Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelSouth Shore Massachusetts Households % of Households
Natural Gas254,68251.8%
Heating Oil136,38627.7%
Electricity73,53915.0%
Propane22,1394.5%
Wood3,4740.7%
Other Fuels3,2370.7%
No Fuel2,2650.5%
Solar5370.1%
Coal2160.0%

Natural gas (51.8%)

Heating oil (27.7%)

Electricity (15.0%)

Propane (4.5%)

Wood (0.7%)

Other fuels (0.7%)

No fuel (0.5%)

Solar (0.1%)

Coal (0.0%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in South Shore Massachusetts

Heating oil has become more popular in South Shore Massachusetts. In the 2 years since 2020, the number of heating oil homes rose from 134,821 to 136,386, a 1.16% lift.

South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011168,032
2012165,720
2013161,173
2014156,012
2015151,703
2016145,690
2017143,331
2018139,070
2019135,342
2020134,821
2021135,307
2022136,386

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in South Shore Massachusetts

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 17,972 to 22,139.

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 234,319 to 254,682.

Electricity use for home heating in South Shore Massachusetts

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in South Shore Massachusetts. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 65,039 to 73,539, a 13.07% increase.

Solar use for home heating in South Shore Massachusetts

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, 537 homes in South Shore Massachusetts are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 79.60% increase from 2020, when only 299 homes had installed active solar heating.

South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Trends

Last year, South Shore Massachusetts homeowners purchased a total of 582 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

South Shore Massachusetts’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 South Shore Massachusetts, the average outside temperature was 0.6° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

South Shore Massachusetts Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2023 - 202440.9° F
Winter 2022 - 202340.3° F

South Shore Massachusetts Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For South Shore Massachusetts homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 264 heating oil companies that serve South Shore Massachusetts 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 130 “full-service” oil companies that serve South Shore Massachusetts. Full service companies such as Ruggiero Bros Inc or A Hohmann & Co Inc 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 South Shore Massachusetts 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 South Shore Massachusetts include Hingham Oil and Hughes Oil.

South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving South Shore Massachusetts: 264 companies

Average Number Of South Shore Massachusetts Homes Served Per Company: 516 homes

South Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 1,772,587 households in South Shore Massachusetts heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when South Shore Massachusetts temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

32% of South Shore Massachusetts Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

South Shore Massachusetts HouseholdsSouth Shore Massachusetts Heating Oil Households
5.4M1.7M

264 South Shore Massachusetts Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 582 million gallons of heating oil delivered to South Shore Massachusetts homeowners during the winter of 2023, the South Shore Massachusetts community relies on its 264 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 South Shore Massachusetts, two of the closest terminals are S.r.& M. in East Boston, MA and S.r.& M. in East Boston, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in South Shore Massachusetts.