Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Windham Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Windham, used by 99,824 or 35% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Windham homeowners 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%).
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
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Windham. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of homeowners using heating oil dipped from 105,894 to 99,824, a 6% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Windham
Between 2022 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 51,520 to 57,954, a 12% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 50,240 to 55,373, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Windham
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Windham. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 24,105 to 36,366, a 51% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Windham
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. As it stands today, 1,820 homes in Windham are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 65% gain from 2022, when 1,106 homes used 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 heating oil use fluctuates each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, picking which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Windham is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 3 “full-service” oil companies that serve Windham. Full service companies such as Barrows & Fisher Oil or Barrows & Fisher Oil offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 households who are looking to save money. 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 Windham cash heating oil companies serving Windham include Cota & Cota Inc and BART Energy Llc.
Windham Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Windham: 5 companies .
Average Number of Windham Households Served per Heating Oil company : 19965
Windham Heating Oil Delivery Overview
99,824 homes in Windham heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Windham temperatures drop as low as 12.6° F each winter. 34.6% of Windham families depend on heating 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 Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 92,108,924 gallons of heating oil delivered to Windham residences last winter, the Windham community relies on its 36 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery is a two step process: 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 residences and companies throughout Windham and the surrounding area.
