Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Piscataquis Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the most popular choice in Piscataquis, used by 298,426 or 48% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Piscataquis families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The remaining homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Piscataquis 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 Piscataquis
Oil has become less popular in Piscataquis. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of households using oil dipped from 344,869 to 298,426, a 13% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Piscataquis
Between 2019 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 69,241 to 101,382, a 46% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 44,750 to 53,178, a 19% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Piscataquis
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Piscataquis. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 48,008 to 92,432, a 93% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Piscataquis
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. Today, 3,526 homes in Piscataquis are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 237% gain from 2019, when 1,047 homes had active solar heating.
Piscataquis County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Piscataquis County homeowners purchased a total of 969,034 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Piscataquis’s overall heating oil usage varies each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Piscataquis was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Piscataquis County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Piscataquis County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Piscataquis homeowners heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Piscataquis can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Piscataquis. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 0 Piscataquis cash heating oil companies serving Piscataquis include Inc and .
Piscataquis Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Piscataquis: 0 companies .
Average Number of Piscataquis Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 298426
Piscataquis Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 families in Piscataquis heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Piscataquis temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Piscataquis houses are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Piscataquis County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Piscataquis County Households | Piscataquis County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
0 Piscataquis Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 246,945,991 gallons of heating oil delivered to Piscataquis homes during this past winter, the Piscataquis community relies on its 0 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 Piscataquis, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Piscataquis and the surrounding area.
