Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hartford Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Hartford, used by 537,918 or 37% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hartford residents is Heating Oil, used by 491,612 homes (34%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (21%), Propane (6%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Hartford County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 548,133 | 93,823 | 310,796 | 480,258 | 19,252 | 7,150 | 11,004 |
| 2025 | 537,918 | 88,504 | 302,730 | 491,612 | 19,550 | 6,488 | 10,689 |
| 2024 | 526,146 | 82,630 | 293,463 | 509,593 | 21,103 | 5,852 | 10,146 |
| 2023 | 530,315 | 92,469 | 276,839 | 496,091 | 19,885 | 4,238 | 15,392 |
| 2022 | 519,969 | 86,596 | 262,494 | 520,424 | 18,487 | 2,985 | 13,466 |
| 2021 | 506,772 | 80,721 | 258,306 | 532,053 | 22,992 | 2,966 | 14,306 |
| 2020 | 503,622 | 73,848 | 247,960 | 533,736 | 22,648 | 1,909 | 11,330 |
| 2019 | 500,471 | 66,974 | 237,614 | 535,420 | 22,304 | 852 | 8,355 |
| 2018 | 497,422 | 60,526 | 232,420 | 549,036 | 22,954 | 1,579 | 8,782 |
| 2017 | 478,136 | 55,608 | 219,208 | 562,247 | 24,510 | 1,029 | 10,257 |
| 2016 | 476,852 | 55,631 | 230,532 | 554,283 | 23,580 | 900 | 9,232 |
| 2015 | 471,195 | 51,915 | 214,414 | 561,996 | 29,530 | 937 | 8,159 |
| 2014 | 464,748 | 49,540 | 212,031 | 576,948 | 34,478 | 554 | 11,670 |
| 2013 | 449,787 | 46,397 | 209,463 | 585,757 | 29,361 | 401 | 10,236 |
| 2012 | 442,443 | 43,849 | 212,708 | 615,734 | 27,351 | 378 | 9,891 |
| 2011 | 437,840 | 43,778 | 207,267 | 625,164 | 25,707 | 611 | 7,588 |
| 2010 | 427,850 | 39,533 | 203,568 | 650,621 | 26,373 | 299 | 7,110 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Hartford
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Hartford. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of homeowners using fuel oil declined from 585,757 to 491,612, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hartford
Between 2013 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 46,397 to 88,504, a 91% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 449,787 to 537,918, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hartford
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Hartford. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 209,463 to 302,730, a 45% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hartford
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Today, 6,488 homes in Hartford are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1518% gain from 2013, when 401 homes utilized active solar heating.
Hartford County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Hartford County homeowners purchased a total of 79 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Hartford’s overall oil use changes yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Hartford was 30.6°F, which was 4.6°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Hartford County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 35.2° F |
Hartford County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Hartford families heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 255 heating oil companies that serve Hartford is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 3098 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hartford. Full service companies such as Aaa Oil Company or Spring Brook Ice & Fuel offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Hartford cash heating oil companies serving Hartford include R & D Oil Service Inc and Bystrek's Oil Company LLC.
Hartford Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Hartford: 255 companies .
Average Number of Hartford Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 1928
Hartford Heating Oil Delivery Overview
491,612 residences in Hartford heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hartford temperatures drop as low as 25.1° F each winter. 33.7% of Hartford residences depend on oil delivery each winter.
16.8% of Hartford County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Hartford County Households | Hartford County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2.9M | 491,612 |
4981 Hartford Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 397,280,973 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Hartford households last winter, the Hartford community looks to its 4981 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Hartford, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Sprague W in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Hartford and the surrounding area.
