Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sagadahoc Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Heating Oil is the preferred choice in Sagadahoc, used by 298,426 or 48% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Sagadahoc families is Propane, used by 101,382 homes (16%). The other homes are heated with Electricity (15%), Wood (10%), Natural Gas (9%), and Other (2%).
Sagadahoc 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 Sagadahoc
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Sagadahoc. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using heating oil dipped from 355,904 to 298,426, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 61,194 to 101,382, a 66% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 44,328 to 53,178, a 20% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sagadahoc
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Sagadahoc. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 41,759 to 92,432, a 121% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sagadahoc
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Currently, 3,526 homes in Sagadahoc are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 202% gain from 2018, when 1,169 homes used active solar heating.
Sagadahoc County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Sagadahoc County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Sagadahoc’s overall fuel oil usage varies yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Sagadahoc was 24.4°F, which was 4.2°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Sagadahoc County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 24.4° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 28.6° F |
Sagadahoc County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Sagadahoc families heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 15 heating oil companies that serve Sagadahoc is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Sagadahoc. Full service companies such as Ness Oil Company or Ness Oil Company offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC 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 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 clients who are on a budget. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Sagadahoc cash heating oil companies serving Sagadahoc include Kennebec Energy LLC Inc and Kaler Oil Co Inc.
Sagadahoc Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Sagadahoc: 15 companies .
Average Number of Sagadahoc Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 19895
Sagadahoc Heating Oil Delivery Overview
298,426 residences in Sagadahoc heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sagadahoc temperatures drop as low as 17.7° F each winter. 47.8% of Sagadahoc homes are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
23.9% of Sagadahoc County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Sagadahoc County Households | Sagadahoc County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.2M | 298,426 |
71 Sagadahoc Number Two Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 246,945,991 gallons of oil delivered to Sagadahoc residences last winter, the Sagadahoc community looks to its 71 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Sagadahoc, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Newington, NH and Sprague in So. Portland, ME. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Sagadahoc and the surrounding region.
