Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Suffolk Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Suffolk, used by 1,473,396 or 52% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Suffolk homeowners is Electricity, used by 610,876 homes (22%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (20%), Propane (5%), Wood (1%), and Other (1%).
Suffolk County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,483,713 | 134,558 | 634,170 | 544,416 | 28,375 | 10,548 | 24,323 |
| 2025 | 1,473,396 | 128,896 | 610,876 | 555,640 | 29,010 | 9,580 | 23,565 |
| 2024 | 1,472,791 | 124,926 | 578,927 | 572,376 | 29,933 | 9,004 | 21,569 |
| 2023 | 1,413,104 | 137,540 | 556,235 | 615,564 | 28,805 | 6,958 | 25,447 |
| 2022 | 1,443,888 | 131,253 | 509,852 | 627,332 | 30,194 | 6,361 | 26,280 |
| 2021 | 1,411,895 | 129,599 | 492,336 | 649,036 | 30,651 | 5,807 | 21,455 |
| 2020 | 1,398,855 | 113,994 | 470,610 | 647,570 | 31,378 | 4,678 | 21,500 |
| 2019 | 1,385,815 | 98,388 | 448,883 | 646,103 | 32,105 | 3,549 | 21,544 |
| 2018 | 1,374,460 | 92,227 | 434,646 | 657,583 | 28,621 | 3,078 | 20,618 |
| 2017 | 1,353,682 | 88,756 | 418,715 | 674,937 | 34,421 | 3,525 | 19,989 |
| 2016 | 1,332,610 | 81,858 | 405,055 | 688,925 | 35,051 | 2,421 | 19,478 |
| 2015 | 1,306,073 | 79,528 | 403,279 | 690,548 | 38,927 | 1,693 | 20,120 |
| 2014 | 1,310,713 | 77,135 | 371,616 | 703,760 | 41,999 | 825 | 21,307 |
| 2013 | 1,265,878 | 81,306 | 371,400 | 740,917 | 47,009 | 1,432 | 17,553 |
| 2012 | 1,249,253 | 68,517 | 365,060 | 772,641 | 43,393 | 487 | 14,495 |
| 2011 | 1,242,643 | 65,582 | 354,007 | 806,422 | 40,356 | 893 | 13,919 |
| 2010 | 1,234,502 | 70,046 | 341,806 | 810,266 | 38,813 | 880 | 14,235 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Suffolk
Oil has become less popular in Suffolk. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of families using number two heating oil dipped from 647,570 to 555,640, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Suffolk
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 113,994 to 128,896, a 13% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 1,398,855 to 1,473,396, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Suffolk
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Suffolk. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 470,610 to 610,876, a 30% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Suffolk
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. Now, 9,580 homes in Suffolk are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 105% gain from 2020, when 4,678 homes used active solar heating.
Suffolk County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Suffolk County homeowners purchased a total of 22 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Suffolk’s overall number two heating oil usage changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Suffolk was 30.0°F, which was 4.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Suffolk County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.5° F |
Suffolk County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Suffolk homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Suffolk is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Suffolk. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner 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 budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 0 Suffolk cash heating oil companies serving Suffolk include Inc and .
Suffolk Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Suffolk: 0 companies .
Average Number of Suffolk Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 555640
Suffolk Heating Oil Delivery Overview
555,640 houses in Suffolk heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Suffolk temperatures drop as low as 24.3° F each winter. 19.6% of Suffolk families depend on oil delivery each winter.
9.8% of Suffolk County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Suffolk County Households | Suffolk County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 5.6M | 555,640 |
0 Suffolk Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 582,115,838 gallons of oil delivered to Suffolk households during this past winter, the Suffolk community depends on its 0 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Suffolk, two of the closest terminals are Sprague W in Springfield, MA and Buckeye in Springfield, MA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Suffolk and the surrounding region.
