Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Windham Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Windham, used by 99,824 or 35% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Windham residents is Propane, used by 57,954 homes (20%). The other homes are heated with Natural Gas (19%), Electricity (13%), Wood (11%), and Other (2%).
Windham 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 Windham
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Windham. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil dropped from 115,387 to 99,824, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Windham
Between 2014 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 38,116 to 57,954, a 52% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 43,091 to 55,373, a 29% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Windham
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Windham. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 11,250 to 36,366, a 223% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Windham
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 Windham are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 917% gain from 2014, when 179 homes utilized active solar heating.
Windham County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Windham County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Windham’s overall oil use fluctuates yearly based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Windham was 20.4°F, which was 6.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Windham County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 20.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 26.8° F |
Windham County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Windham households heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Windham is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 3 “full-service” oil companies that serve Windham. Full service companies such as Barrows & Fisher Oil or Barrows & Fisher Oil offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are looking to save money. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Windham cash heating oil companies serving Windham include Cota & Cota Inc and BART Energy Llc.
Windham Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Windham: 5 companies .
Average Number of Windham Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 19965
Windham Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 households in Windham heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Windham temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Windham residences are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
17.2% of Windham County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Windham County Households | Windham County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 579,101 | 99,824 |
36 Windham Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 92,108,924 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Windham households the last heating season, the Windham community depends on its 36 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Windham, 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 Windham and the surrounding vicinity.
