Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Rutland Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Rutland, used by 99,824 or 35% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Rutland 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%).
Rutland 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 Rutland
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Rutland. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil dropped from 108,658 to 99,824, a 8% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Rutland
Between 2019 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 48,270 to 57,954, a 20% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 48,826 to 55,373, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Rutland
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Rutland. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 16,723 to 36,366, a 117% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Rutland
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. Now, 1,820 homes in Rutland are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 233% gain from 2019, when 547 homes had active solar heating.
Rutland County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Rutland County homeowners purchased a total of 13 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Rutland’s overall heating oil consumption varies annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Rutland was 20.4°F, which was 6.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Rutland County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 20.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 26.8° F |
Rutland County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Rutland families heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Rutland can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Rutland. Full service companies such as or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 customers who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Rutland cash heating oil companies serving Rutland include Midway Oil and Sam's Service Center & USave Fuels.
Rutland Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Rutland: 5 companies .
Average Number of Rutland Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 19965
Rutland Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 families in Rutland heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Rutland temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Rutland families rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
17.2% of Rutland County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Rutland County Households | Rutland County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 579,101 | 99,824 |
102 Rutland Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 92,108,924 gallons of heating oil delivered to Rutland residences the last heating season, the Rutland community looks to its 102 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Rutland, 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 Rutland and the surrounding vicinity.
