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 preferred choice in Bennington, used by 99,824 or 35% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Bennington households is Propane, used by 57,954 homes (20%). The other homes are heated with Natural Gas (19%), Electricity (13%), Wood (11%), and Other (2%).
Bennington County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. 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
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Bennington. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of families using number two heating oil dropped from 111,011 to 99,824, a 10% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bennington
Between 2013 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 38,339 to 57,954, a 51% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 42,192 to 55,373, a 31% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bennington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Bennington. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 11,779 to 36,366, a 209% 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 is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Today, 1,820 homes in Bennington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 608% gain from 2013, when 257 homes had 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 oil usage changes annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 homes heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Bennington is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bennington. Full service companies such as Morse Fuels LLC or Davey Oil Inc offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 0 Bennington cash heating oil companies serving Bennington include and .
Bennington Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Bennington: 2 companies .
Average Number of Bennington Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 49912
Bennington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 homes 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 houses are reliant on heating 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 Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 92,108,924 gallons of oil delivered to Bennington homes last winter, the Bennington community depends on its 2 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: 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 oil to residences and companies throughout Bennington and the surrounding vicinity.
