Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: New London Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in New London, used by 537,918 or 37% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for New London households is Heating Oil, used by 491,612 homes (34%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (21%), Propane (6%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
New London 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 New London
Fuel oil has become less popular in New London. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using oil declined from 554,283 to 491,612, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in New London
Between 2016 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 55,631 to 88,504, a 59% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 476,852 to 537,918, a 13% change.
Electricity use for home heating in New London
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in New London. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 230,532 to 302,730, a 31% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in New London
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. As it stands today, 6,488 homes in New London are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 621% gain from 2016, when 900 homes utilized active solar heating.
New London County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, New London County homeowners purchased a total of 42 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
New London’s overall heating oil consumption changes from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in New London was 30.6°F, which was 4.6°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
New London County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 35.2° F |
New London County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For New London residences heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 126 heating oil companies that serve New London is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 788 “full-service” oil companies that serve New London. Full service companies such as Aaa Oil Company or CW Knight Oil & Heating LLC offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 customers who are budget-conscious. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 New London cash heating oil companies serving New London include Asi Oil LLC Inc and Bystrek's Oil Company LLC.
New London Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving New London: 126 companies .
Average Number of New London Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 3902
New London Heating Oil Delivery Overview
491,612 houses in New London heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when New London temperatures drop as low as 25.1° F each winter. 33.7% of New London homes are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
16.8% of New London County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| New London County Households | New London County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2.9M | 491,612 |
1476 New London Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 397,280,973 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to New London homeowners the last heating season, the New London community looks to its 1476 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of New London, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Wethersfield, CT and Sprague W in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout New London and the surrounding region.