Updated on July 30, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
07/30/2024 | $3.199 |
07/29/2024 | $3.199 |
07/26/2024 | $3.199 |
07/25/2024 | $3.199 |
07/24/2024 | $3.299 |
07/23/2024 | $3.299 |
07/22/2024 | $3.299 |
07/19/2024 | $3.299 |
07/18/2024 | $3.299 |
07/17/2024 | $3.299 |
07/16/2024 | $3.299 |
07/15/2024 | $3.299 |
07/12/2024 | $3.249 |
07/11/2024 | $3.249 |
07/10/2024 | $3.249 |
07/09/2024 | $3.249 |
07/08/2024 | $3.199 |
07/05/2024 | $3.199 |
07/04/2024 | $3.199 |
07/03/2024 | $3.199 |
07/02/2024 | $3.199 |
07/01/2024 | $3.199 |
06/28/2024 | $3.199 |
06/27/2024 | $3.099 |
06/26/2024 | $3.099 |
06/25/2024 | $3.099 |
06/24/2024 | $3.099 |
06/13/2024 | $3.299 |
06/12/2024 | $3.299 |
06/11/2024 | $3.299 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Electricity is the most popular choice in Portsmouth County, used by 1,887,993 or 56.72% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Portsmouth County homeowners is natural gas, used by 1,101,616 homes (33.09%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (153,698), heating oil (129,907), wood (65,453), and other fuels (41,045).
Portsmouth County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Portsmouth County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Electricity | 1.8M | 56.7% |
Natural Gas | 1.1M | 33.1% |
Propane | 153,698 | 4.6% |
Heating Oil | 129,907 | 3.9% |
Wood | 65,453 | 2.0% |
No Fuel | 24,314 | 0.7% |
Other Fuels | 12,489 | 0.4% |
Solar | 2,751 | 0.1% |
Coal | 1,491 | 0.0% |
Electricity (56.7%)
Natural gas (33.1%)
Propane (4.6%)
Heating oil (3.9%)
Wood (2.0%)
No fuel (0.7%)
Other fuels (0.4%)
Solar (0.1%)
Coal (0.0%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Portsmouth County. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 211,492 to 129,907, a 38.58% drop.
Portsmouth County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 228,988 |
2012 | 211,492 |
2013 | 195,333 |
2014 | 182,928 |
2015 | 171,696 |
2016 | 162,011 |
2017 | 154,885 |
2018 | 148,684 |
2019 | 141,997 |
2020 | 137,208 |
2021 | 128,923 |
2022 | 129,907 |
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 136,687 to 153,698.
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,026,182 to 1,101,616.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Portsmouth County. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,529,794 to 1,887,993, a 23.41% increase.
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, 2,751 homes in Portsmouth County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 550.35% increase from 2012, when only 423 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Portsmouth County homeowners purchased a total of 251,257 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Portsmouth County’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 Portsmouth County, the average outside temperature was 2.1° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Portsmouth County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
2024 - 2025 | 44.4° F |
2023 - 2024 | 42.3° F |
For Portsmouth County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Portsmouth County 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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Portsmouth County. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined 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 Portsmouth County 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 Portsmouth County include Bogue Oil and Griffin Oil & Propane.
Portsmouth County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Portsmouth County: 6 companies
Average Number Of Portsmouth County Homes Served Per Company: 69 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Portsmouth County Oil Company: 41,876 gallons per year
Approximately 416 households in Portsmouth County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Portsmouth County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
1% of Portsmouth County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Portsmouth County Households | Portsmouth County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
40,563 | 416 |
6 Portsmouth County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 251,257 gallons of heating oil delivered to Portsmouth County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Portsmouth County community relies on its 6 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 Portsmouth County, two of the closest terminals are Kinder-m2 in Richmond, VA and 1st Enrgy in Richmond, VA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Portsmouth County.