Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Putnam Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Putnam, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Putnam households 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%).
Putnam 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 Putnam
Heating oil has become less popular in Putnam. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of homeowners using fuel oil declined from 1,459,976 to 1,103,323, a 24% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Putnam
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 308,020 to 377,922, a 23% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 4,397,917 to 4,725,574, a 7% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Putnam
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Putnam. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 890,554 to 1,365,710, a 53% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Putnam
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Putnam are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 173% gain from 2018, when 6,022 homes had active solar heating.
Putnam County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Putnam County homeowners purchased a total of 10 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Putnam’s overall oil use changes each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Putnam was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Putnam County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Putnam County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Putnam residences heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 71 heating oil companies that serve Putnam can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 246 “full-service” oil companies that serve Putnam. Full service companies such as Action Fuel Oil Corp or People's Oil offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler 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 homeowner 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 families who are budget-conscious. 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 2 Putnam cash heating oil companies serving Putnam include Outlaw Oil LLC Inc and Prestige Oil Inc.
Putnam Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Putnam: 71 companies .
Average Number of Putnam Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 15540
Putnam Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Putnam heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Putnam temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Putnam households rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Putnam County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Putnam County Households | Putnam County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
401 Putnam Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Putnam houses the last heating season, the Putnam community looks to its 401 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Putnam, 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 residences and companies throughout Putnam and the surrounding region.
