Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Calvert County, used by 1,036,714 or 43.77% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Calvert 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).
Calvert County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Calvert 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)
Heating oil has become less popular in Calvert County. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 239,039 to 178,203, a 25.45% drop.
Calvert 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 |
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 68,658 to 89,874.
Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 958,637 to 1,036,714.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Calvert County. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 828,515 to 1,018,912, a 22.98% increase.
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 Calvert County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 2191.69% increase from 2012, when only 397 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Calvert County homeowners purchased a total of 531,360 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Calvert 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 Calvert County, the average outside temperature was 3.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Calvert County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 49° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 46° F |
For Calvert County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 34 heating oil companies that serve Calvert 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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Calvert County. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined 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 Calvert 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 Calvert County include Coastal Heating and Air Conditioning Co Inc and SMO Energy.
Calvert County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Calvert County: 34 companies
Average Number Of Calvert County Homes Served Per Company: 30 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Calvert County Oil Company: 15,628 gallons per year
1,031 households in Calvert County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Calvert County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
17% of Calvert County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Calvert County Households | Calvert County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
5,922 | 1,031 |
60 Calvert County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 531,360 gallons of heating oil delivered to Calvert County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Calvert County community relies on its 60 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 Calvert County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Baltimore, MD and Motiva in Fairfax, VA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Calvert County.