Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Anne Arundel County, used by 1,036,714 or 43.77% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Anne Arundel County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,018,912 homes (43.02%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (178,203), propane (89,874), wood (27,892), and other fuels (45,552).

Anne Arundel County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Anne Arundel County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	1.0M	43.77%
Electricity	1.0M	43.02%
Heating Oil	178,203	7.52%
Propane	89,874	3.79%
Wood	27,892	1.18%
No Fuel	18,911	0.80%
Other Fuels	16,016	0.68%
Solar	9,098	0.38%
Coal	1,527	0.06%

Natural gas (43.77)

Electricity (43.02)

Heating oil (7.52)

Propane (3.79)

Wood (1.18)

No fuel (0.80)

Other fuels (0.68)

Solar (0.38)

Coal (0.06)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Anne Arundel County

Heating oil has become less popular in Anne Arundel County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 246,964 to 178,203, a 27.84% drop.

Anne Arundel County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	246,964
2012	239,039
2013	228,525
2014	222,212
2015	212,903
2016	207,818
2017	201,205
2018	193,194
2019	186,662
2020	179,727
2021	176,310
2022	178,203

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Anne Arundel County

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 69,487 to 89,874.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 956,156 to 1,036,714.

Electricity use for home heating in Anne Arundel County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Anne Arundel County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 813,918 to 1,018,912, a 25.19% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Anne Arundel 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, 9,098 homes in Anne Arundel County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 2725.47% increase from 2011, when only 322 homes had installed active solar heating.

Anne Arundel County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Anne Arundel County homeowners purchased a total of 16 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Anne Arundel 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 Anne Arundel County, the average outside temperature was 3.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Anne Arundel County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	49° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	46° F

Anne Arundel County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Anne Arundel County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 133 heating oil companies that serve Anne Arundel 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 88 “full-service” oil companies that serve Anne Arundel County. Full service companies such as Murphy's Fuel Oil Company or Murphy's Fuel Oil Company 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 Anne Arundel 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 Anne Arundel County include Coastal Heating and Air Conditioning Co Inc and Arundel Cooling and Heating Co.

Anne Arundel County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Anne Arundel County: 133 companies

Average Number Of Anne Arundel County Homes Served Per Company: 230 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Anne Arundel County Oil Company: 118,828 gallons per year

Anne Arundel County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

30,665 households in Anne Arundel County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Anne Arundel County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

6% of Anne Arundel County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Anne Arundel County Households	Anne Arundel County Heating Oil Households
509,787	30,665

1,687 Anne Arundel County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 16 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Anne Arundel County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Anne Arundel County community relies on its 1,687 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 Anne Arundel County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Baltimore, MD and Citgo in Baltimore, MD. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Anne Arundel County.