Cities In Virginia with Local Heating Oil Deals

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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Virginia Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Electricity is the most popular choice in Virginia, used by 729,818 or 56.56% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Virginia homeowners is natural gas, used by 482,135 homes (37.37%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (32,375), propane (30,950), no fuel (11,716), and other fuels (13,236).

Virginia Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Virginia Households	% of Households
Electricity	729,818	56.56%
Natural Gas	482,135	37.37%
Heating Oil	32,375	2.51%
Propane	30,950	2.40%
No Fuel	11,716	0.91%
Wood	7,995	0.62%
Other Fuels	3,887	0.30%
Solar	883	0.07%
Coal	471	0.04%

Electricity (56.56)

Natural gas (37.37)

Heating oil (2.51)

Propane (2.40)

No fuel (0.91)

Wood (0.62)

Other fuels (0.30)

Solar (0.07)

Coal (0.04)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Virginia

Heating oil has become less popular in Virginia. In the 3 years since 2019, the number of heating oil homes fell from 37,096 to 32,375, a 12.73% drop.

Virginia Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	65,440
2012	60,145
2013	54,943
2014	50,866
2015	47,395
2016	43,436
2017	41,574
2018	39,490
2019	37,096
2020	35,272
2021	33,331
2022	32,375

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Virginia

Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 25,254 to 30,950.

Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 450,792 to 482,135.

Electricity use for home heating in Virginia

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Virginia. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 651,786 to 729,818, a 11.97% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Virginia

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, 883 homes in Virginia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 274.15% increase from 2019, when only 236 homes had installed active solar heating.

Virginia Heating Oil Trends

Short Term Trends

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	48° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	43.7° F

Virginia Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Virginia homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 226 heating oil companies that serve Virginia 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 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Virginia. Full service companies such as Robert B Payne Inc 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 Virginia 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 Virginia include Morgan Oil Corporation and FANNON PETROLEUM SERVICES.

Virginia Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Virginia: 226 companies

Average Number Of Virginia Homes Served Per Company: 143 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Virginia Oil Company: 347,176 gallons per year