Date	Average Oil Price
11/21/2024	$3.399
11/20/2024	$3.399
11/19/2024	$3.399
11/18/2024	$3.399
11/15/2024	$3.399
10/04/2024	$3.299
10/03/2024	$3.299
10/02/2024	$3.299
10/01/2024	$3.299
09/30/2024	$3.299
09/27/2024	$3.299
09/26/2024	$3.299
09/25/2024	$3.299
09/24/2024	$3.299
09/23/2024	$3.299
09/20/2024	$3.299
09/19/2024	$3.213
09/18/2024	$3.213
09/17/2024	$3.213
09/16/2024	$3.213
09/13/2024	$3.213
09/12/2024	$3.213
09/11/2024	$3.228
09/10/2024	$3.228
09/09/2024	$3.399
09/06/2024	$3.399
09/05/2024	$3.399
08/23/2024	$3.499
08/22/2024	$3.499
08/21/2024	$3.499

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Vermont Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Vermont, used by 69,867 or 37.90% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Vermont homeowners is natural gas, used by 47,288 homes (25.65%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (31,127), wood (19,448), electricity (15,940), and other fuels (4,814).

Vermont Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Vermont Households	% of Households
Heating Oil	69,867	37.9%
Natural Gas	47,288	25.7%
Propane	31,127	16.9%
Wood	19,448	10.6%
Electricity	15,940	8.7%
Other Fuels	3,462	1.9%
Solar	693	0.4%
No Fuel	437	0.2%
Coal	222	0.1%

Heating oil (37.9%)

Natural gas (25.7%)

Propane (16.9%)

Wood (10.6%)

Electricity (8.7%)

Other fuels (1.9%)

Solar (0.4%)

No fuel (0.2%)

Coal (0.1%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Vermont

Heating oil has become less popular in Vermont. In the 2 years since 2020, the number of heating oil homes fell from 72,577 to 69,867, a 3.73% drop.

Vermont Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	84,242
2012	81,328
2013	78,030
2014	76,986
2015	75,105
2016	72,705
2017	72,394
2018	72,091
2019	70,629
2020	72,577
2021	70,963
2022	69,867

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Vermont

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 28,547 to 31,127.

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 44,516 to 47,288.

Electricity use for home heating in Vermont

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Vermont. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 12,604 to 15,940, a 26.47% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Vermont

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, 693 homes in Vermont are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 47.76% increase from 2020, when only 469 homes had installed active solar heating.

Vermont Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Vermont homeowners purchased a total of 92 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Vermont’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 Vermont, the average outside temperature was 3.7° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Vermont Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2023 - 2024	31.2° F
Winter 2022 - 2023	27.5° F

Vermont Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Vermont homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 39 heating oil companies that serve Vermont 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 3 “full-service” oil companies that serve Vermont. Full service companies such as Packard Fuels 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 Vermont 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 Vermont include BART Energy Llc and Jam Fuel Llc.

Vermont Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Vermont: 39 companies

Average Number Of Vermont Homes Served Per Company: 2,782 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Vermont Oil Company: 2,361,767 gallons per year

Vermont Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 96,989 households in Vermont heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Vermont temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

40% of Vermont Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Vermont Households	Vermont Heating Oil Households
239,785	96,989

39 Vermont Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 92 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Vermont homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Vermont community relies on its 39 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 Vermont, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in So. Portland, ME and Buckeye in South Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Vermont.