Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Herkimer Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Herkimer, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Herkimer families 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%).
Herkimer 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 Herkimer
Oil has become less frequently used in Herkimer. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using oil dipped from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Herkimer
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,504,504 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Herkimer
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Herkimer. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Herkimer
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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Herkimer are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 homes utilized active solar heating.
Herkimer County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Herkimer County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Herkimer’s overall oil consumption varies from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Herkimer was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Herkimer County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Herkimer County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Herkimer residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Herkimer can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Herkimer. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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 customers who are on a budget. 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. A few of the 0 Herkimer cash heating oil companies serving Herkimer include Inc and .
Herkimer Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Herkimer: 0 companies .
Average Number of Herkimer Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 1103323
Herkimer Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Herkimer heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Herkimer temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Herkimer homes are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Herkimer County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Herkimer County Households | Herkimer County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
0 Herkimer Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Herkimer homes last winter, the Herkimer community depends 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 Herkimer, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Herkimer and the surrounding region.