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 Richmond County, used by 1,887,993 or 56.72% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Richmond 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).
Richmond County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Richmond 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 Richmond County. In the 4 years since 2018, the number of heating oil homes fell from 148,684 to 129,907, a 12.63% drop.
Richmond 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 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 137,930 to 153,698.
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,040,445 to 1,101,616.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Richmond County. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,701,738 to 1,887,993, a 10.94% 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 Richmond County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 200.98% increase from 2018, when only 914 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Richmond County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Richmond 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 Richmond County, the average outside temperature was 4.4° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Richmond County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 47.8° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 43.4° F |
For Richmond County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Richmond 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 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Richmond County. Full service companies such as Hungerford Heating & Cooling 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 Richmond 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 Richmond County include Southside Fuel and J M Pollard.
Richmond County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Richmond County: 5 companies
Average Number Of Richmond County Homes Served Per Company: 1,613 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Richmond County Oil Company: 974,227 gallons per year
Approximately 8,065 households in Richmond County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Richmond County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
4% of Richmond County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Richmond County Households | Richmond County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
175,854 | 8,065 |
5 Richmond County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 5 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Richmond County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Richmond County community relies on its 5 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 Richmond County, two of the closest terminals are 1st Enrgy in Richmond, VA and Kinder-m2 in Richmond, VA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Richmond County.