Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Franklin, used by 99,824 or 35% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin residents 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%).
Franklin 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 Franklin
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Franklin. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of households using number two heating oil decreased from 105,005 to 99,824, a 5% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 51,992 to 57,954, a 11% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 50,677 to 55,373, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Franklin. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 22,510 to 36,366, a 62% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. Now, 1,820 homes in Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 35% gain from 2021, when 1,349 homes used active solar heating.
Franklin County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Franklin County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Franklin’s overall heating oil usage varies annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Franklin was 20.4°F, which was 6.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Franklin County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 20.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 26.8° F |
Franklin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Franklin homes heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Franklin can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic 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 household 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 households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include Clarence Brown Inc and Corse Fuels.
Franklin Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Franklin: 22 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 4537
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 families in Franklin heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Franklin residences are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
17.2% of Franklin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Franklin County Households | Franklin County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 579,101 | 99,824 |
86 Franklin Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 92,108,924 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Franklin residences last winter, the Franklin community depends on its 86 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 Franklin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Apex in Rensselaer, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Franklin and the surrounding vicinity.
