Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most common choice in Franklin, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The rest of the homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Franklin County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56,154 | 108,059 | 99,960 | 293,815 | 65,168 | 3,873 | 9,806 |
| 2025 | 53,178 | 101,382 | 92,432 | 298,426 | 65,496 | 3,526 | 9,422 |
| 2024 | 51,248 | 98,171 | 83,361 | 309,159 | 59,610 | 3,144 | 8,226 |
| 2023 | 51,811 | 84,744 | 79,160 | 323,666 | 57,999 | 2,137 | 12,767 |
| 2022 | 48,991 | 84,304 | 63,901 | 339,456 | 51,998 | 1,704 | 11,224 |
| 2021 | 47,952 | 78,322 | 61,019 | 345,133 | 46,227 | 1,374 | 10,375 |
| 2020 | 46,351 | 73,782 | 54,514 | 345,001 | 50,077 | 1,210 | 9,402 |
| 2019 | 44,750 | 69,241 | 48,008 | 344,869 | 53,927 | 1,047 | 8,428 |
| 2018 | 44,328 | 61,194 | 41,759 | 355,904 | 54,843 | 1,169 | 8,683 |
| 2017 | 41,841 | 61,816 | 36,406 | 331,541 | 54,454 | 1,228 | 10,328 |
| 2016 | 41,879 | 52,621 | 33,543 | 333,900 | 55,290 | 312 | 11,584 |
| 2015 | 37,624 | 50,511 | 35,138 | 336,337 | 70,767 | 604 | 11,270 |
| 2014 | 37,608 | 48,027 | 28,040 | 342,185 | 78,214 | 451 | 11,692 |
| 2013 | 31,836 | 45,601 | 28,747 | 351,842 | 76,707 | 486 | 9,827 |
| 2012 | 28,621 | 41,477 | 23,260 | 374,110 | 76,225 | 635 | 6,995 |
| 2011 | 27,427 | 42,224 | 24,723 | 379,409 | 68,055 | 307 | 6,480 |
| 2010 | 23,135 | 36,617 | 27,813 | 384,021 | 65,520 | 446 | 5,177 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Franklin
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Franklin. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of households using oil decreased from 309,159 to 298,426, a 3% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 98,171 to 101,382, a 3% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 51,248 to 53,178, a 4% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Franklin. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 83,361 to 92,432, a 11% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
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, 3,526 homes in Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12% gain from 2024, when 3,144 homes used active solar heating.
Franklin County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Franklin County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Franklin’s overall number two heating oil usage changes from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Franklin was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Franklin County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Franklin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Franklin residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Franklin 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 choose one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as Bobs Cash Fuel or Bobs Cash Fuel offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace 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 household 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 families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include Valley Gas and Oil Company Inc and Twitchell Fuel co.
Franklin Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Franklin: 7 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 42632
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 houses in Franklin heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Franklin homes rely on oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Franklin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Franklin County Households | Franklin County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
21 Franklin Number Two Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Franklin families the last heating season, the Franklin community depends on its 21 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 Franklin, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
