Something went wrong

Orange County Heating Oil Price History

Updated on December 18, 2024 at 12:00 AM

DateAverage Oil Price
12/18/2024$3.499
12/17/2024$3.499
12/16/2024$3.499
12/13/2024$3.499
12/12/2024$3.499
12/11/2024$3.499
12/10/2024$3.499
12/09/2024$3.499
12/06/2024$3.499
12/05/2024$3.499
12/04/2024$3.499
12/03/2024$3.499
12/02/2024$3.499
11/29/2024$3.499
11/28/2024$3.499
11/27/2024$3.499
11/26/2024$3.499
11/25/2024$3.499
11/22/2024$3.499
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

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Orange County Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Orange County, used by 108,499 or 41.06% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Orange County homeowners is natural gas, used by 50,127 homes (18.97%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (50,123), wood (35,629), electricity (19,788), and other fuels (7,814).

Orange County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelOrange County Households % of Households
Heating Oil108,49941.1%
Natural Gas50,12719.0%
Propane50,12319.0%
Wood35,62913.5%
Electricity19,7887.5%
Other Fuels5,6922.2%
Solar1,0420.4%
No Fuel6190.2%
Coal4610.2%

Heating oil (41.1%)

Natural gas (19.0%)

Propane (19.0%)

Wood (13.5%)

Electricity (7.5%)

Other fuels (2.2%)

Solar (0.4%)

No fuel (0.2%)

Coal (0.2%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Orange County

Heating oil has become less popular in Orange County. In the 2 years since 2020, the number of heating oil homes fell from 110,870 to 108,499, a 2.14% drop.

Orange County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011128,566
2012124,072
2013119,422
2014117,459
2015114,826
2016111,441
2017111,092
2018110,704
2019108,976
2020110,870
2021108,747
2022108,499

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Orange County

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 46,032 to 50,123.

Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 46,299 to 50,127.

Electricity use for home heating in Orange County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Orange County. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 15,574 to 19,788, a 27.06% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Orange County

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, 1,042 homes in Orange County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 33.93% increase from 2020, when only 778 homes had installed active solar heating.

Orange County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Orange County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Orange 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 Orange County, the average outside temperature was 4.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Orange County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
2024 - 202529.8° F
2023 - 202425.5° F

Orange County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Orange County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Orange 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 7 “full-service” oil companies that serve Orange County. Full service companies such as Packard Fuels or Packard Fuels 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 Orange 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 Orange County include Vermont Fuel Efficiency and Packard Fuels LLC.

Orange County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Orange County: 4 companies

Average Number Of Orange County Homes Served Per Company: 354 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Orange County Oil Company: 300,948 gallons per year

Orange County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 1,418 households in Orange County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Orange County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

42% of Orange County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Orange County HouseholdsOrange County Heating Oil Households
3,3141,418

28 Orange County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 1 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Orange County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Orange County community relies on its 28 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 Orange County, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Orange County.