Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bennington Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Bennington, used by 99,824 or 35% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Bennington households is Propane, used by 57,954 homes (20%). The rest of the homes are heated with Natural Gas (19%), Electricity (13%), Wood (11%), and Other (2%).
Bennington County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55,373 | 57,954 | 36,366 | 99,824 | 33,030 | 1,820 | 4,366 |
| 2024 | 56,646 | 56,523 | 33,651 | 101,281 | 30,344 | 1,660 | 4,241 |
| 2023 | 48,131 | 54,853 | 27,940 | 102,091 | 38,497 | 1,670 | 4,784 |
| 2022 | 50,240 | 51,520 | 24,105 | 105,894 | 36,184 | 1,106 | 6,886 |
| 2021 | 50,677 | 51,992 | 22,510 | 105,005 | 33,125 | 1,349 | 4,533 |
| 2020 | 49,752 | 50,131 | 19,616 | 106,832 | 33,799 | 948 | 4,630 |
| 2019 | 48,826 | 48,270 | 16,723 | 108,658 | 34,473 | 547 | 4,727 |
| 2018 | 47,328 | 44,423 | 14,122 | 108,961 | 40,731 | 819 | 3,930 |
| 2017 | 47,036 | 43,339 | 14,035 | 107,395 | 38,840 | 612 | 3,997 |
| 2016 | 46,388 | 42,621 | 14,097 | 106,498 | 39,455 | 571 | 3,822 |
| 2015 | 45,256 | 40,280 | 12,610 | 108,532 | 42,271 | 263 | 4,298 |
| 2014 | 43,091 | 38,116 | 11,250 | 115,387 | 43,828 | 179 | 4,258 |
| 2013 | 42,192 | 38,339 | 11,779 | 111,011 | 44,411 | 257 | 3,630 |
| 2012 | 41,601 | 38,497 | 12,532 | 114,708 | 46,051 | 206 | 3,749 |
| 2011 | 39,163 | 39,551 | 10,855 | 122,786 | 41,261 | 98 | 2,834 |
| 2010 | 41,357 | 35,529 | 13,667 | 122,832 | 38,777 | 122 | 3,182 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Bennington
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Bennington. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of homeowners using fuel oil declined from 108,961 to 99,824, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bennington
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 44,423 to 57,954, a 30% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 47,328 to 55,373, a 17% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bennington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Bennington. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 14,122 to 36,366, a 158% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bennington
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Currently, 1,820 homes in Bennington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 122% gain from 2018, when 819 homes used active solar heating.
Bennington County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Bennington County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Bennington’s overall number two heating oil usage changes yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Bennington was 20.4°F, which was 6.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Bennington County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 20.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 26.8° F |
Bennington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Bennington residences heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Bennington can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bennington. Full service companies such as Morse Fuels LLC or Davey Oil Inc offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 0 Bennington cash heating oil companies serving Bennington include and .
Bennington Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Bennington: 2 companies .
Average Number of Bennington Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 49912
Bennington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 families in Bennington heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bennington temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Bennington households are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
17.2% of Bennington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Bennington County Households | Bennington County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 579,101 | 99,824 |
2 Bennington Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 92,108,924 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Bennington houses the last heating season, the Bennington community looks to its 2 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Bennington, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Apex in Rensselaer, NY. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Bennington and the surrounding region.
