Last year, Worcester County homeowners purchased a total of 118 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Worcester 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 Worcester County, the average outside temperature was 5.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Worcester County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 42.7° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 37.4° F |
134,474 households in Worcester County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Worcester County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
39% of Worcester County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Worcester County Households | Worcester County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
340,798 | 134,474 |
2,692 Worcester County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 118 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Worcester County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Worcester County community relies on its 2,692 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 Worcester County, two of the closest terminals are Sti in Springfield, MA and Sprague in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Worcester County.