Last year, Western Mass homeowners purchased a total of 582 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Western Mass’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 Western Mass, the average outside temperature was 6.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Western Mass Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 38° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 31.8° F |
1,237,040 households in Western Mass heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Western Mass thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
31% of Western Mass Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Western Mass Households | Western Mass Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
3.8M | 1.2M |
83 Western Mass Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 582 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Western Mass homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Western Mass community relies on its 83 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 Western Mass, two of the closest terminals are S.r.& M. in East Boston, MA and S.r.& M. in East Boston, MA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Western Mass.