Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Albany Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Albany, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Albany residents is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Albany County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4,768,707 | 390,135 | 1,429,822 | 1,059,449 | 89,064 | 18,053 | 103,422 |
| 2025 | 4,725,574 | 377,922 | 1,365,710 | 1,103,323 | 92,054 | 16,434 | 100,232 |
| 2024 | 4,679,558 | 370,910 | 1,292,868 | 1,143,783 | 96,147 | 15,259 | 97,524 |
| 2023 | 4,581,041 | 402,335 | 1,263,700 | 1,212,850 | 100,015 | 11,208 | 104,369 |
| 2022 | 4,542,443 | 400,969 | 1,190,880 | 1,279,260 | 99,080 | 11,314 | 103,810 |
| 2021 | 4,489,009 | 388,311 | 1,118,015 | 1,293,770 | 108,202 | 8,858 | 98,952 |
| 2020 | 4,504,504 | 353,944 | 1,014,730 | 1,343,665 | 111,106 | 8,778 | 89,024 |
| 2019 | 4,519,999 | 319,576 | 911,445 | 1,393,560 | 114,011 | 8,697 | 79,096 |
| 2018 | 4,397,917 | 308,020 | 890,554 | 1,459,976 | 120,159 | 6,022 | 82,621 |
| 2017 | 4,339,349 | 294,973 | 867,925 | 1,496,843 | 122,088 | 5,988 | 77,386 |
| 2016 | 4,227,422 | 273,838 | 860,856 | 1,540,787 | 126,890 | 6,535 | 79,479 |
| 2015 | 4,202,413 | 265,224 | 808,370 | 1,649,860 | 141,016 | 3,120 | 78,999 |
| 2014 | 4,186,666 | 258,775 | 770,577 | 1,752,656 | 145,012 | 2,573 | 76,963 |
| 2013 | 4,074,510 | 259,367 | 764,400 | 1,802,442 | 148,422 | 2,525 | 81,841 |
| 2012 | 4,044,389 | 237,738 | 775,390 | 1,901,118 | 155,603 | 2,168 | 61,429 |
| 2011 | 4,014,222 | 222,634 | 707,016 | 1,979,067 | 143,287 | 2,728 | 63,609 |
| 2010 | 3,961,085 | 227,607 | 676,262 | 2,068,004 | 143,242 | 1,823 | 61,664 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Albany
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Albany. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of households using oil declined from 1,901,118 to 1,103,323, a 42% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Albany
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 237,738 to 377,922, a 59% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,044,389 to 4,725,574, a 17% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Albany
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Albany. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 775,390 to 1,365,710, a 76% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Albany
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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, 16,434 homes in Albany are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 658% gain from 2012, when 2,168 homes had active solar heating.
Albany County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Albany County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Albany’s overall fuel oil usage varies from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Albany was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Albany County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Albany County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Albany households heating with oil, choosing which of the 60 heating oil companies that serve Albany 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 select one of the 322 “full-service” oil companies that serve Albany. Full service companies such as H & M Oil Co Inc Hoffman & Miller Oil Co or Helderberg Oil Inc offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 homeowners 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. Some of the 2 Albany cash heating oil companies serving Albany include Collins & Son Inc Inc and MainCare Express.
Albany Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Albany: 60 companies .
Average Number of Albany Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 18389
Albany Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Albany heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Albany temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Albany homes depend on oil delivery each winter.
7% of Albany County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Albany County Households | Albany County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
606 Albany Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Albany households last winter, the Albany community relies on its 606 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Albany, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Albany and the surrounding region.
