Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Chautauqua Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Chautauqua, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Chautauqua 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%).
Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Chautauqua. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of households using fuel oil dipped from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Chautauqua
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 319,576 to 377,922, a 18% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Chautauqua
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Chautauqua. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Chautauqua
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Now, 16,434 homes in Chautauqua are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes had active solar heating.
Chautauqua County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Chautauqua County homeowners purchased a total of 130,115 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Chautauqua’s overall fuel oil use fluctuates from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Chautauqua was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Chautauqua County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Chautauqua County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Chautauqua homeowners heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Chautauqua is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Chautauqua. Full service companies such as Lictus Keystone Inc or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Chautauqua cash heating oil companies serving Chautauqua include Tps Supply Corp Tps Petroleum Suppliers Inc and Danielson Oil Company Inc.
Chautauqua Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Chautauqua: 3 companies .
Average Number of Chautauqua Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 367774
Chautauqua Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Chautauqua heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Chautauqua temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Chautauqua homes are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Chautauqua County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Chautauqua County Households | Chautauqua County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
3 Chautauqua Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Chautauqua homeowners last winter, the Chautauqua community relies on its 3 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Chautauqua, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Chautauqua and the surrounding area.
