Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Washington Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Washington, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Washington 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%).
Washington 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 Washington
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Washington. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of households using oil fell from 1,293,770 to 1,103,323, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Washington
Between 2021 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 388,311 to 377,922, a 3% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 4,489,009 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Washington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Washington. Since 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,118,015 to 1,365,710, a 22% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Washington
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Washington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 86% gain from 2021, when 8,858 homes used active solar heating.
Washington County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Washington County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Washington’s overall number two heating oil use varies yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Washington was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Washington County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Washington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Washington households heating with oil, selecting which of the 26 heating oil companies that serve Washington can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 77 “full-service” oil companies that serve Washington. Full service companies such as Gf Heating Oil LLC or Wever Petroleum Inc offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system 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 customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Washington cash heating oil companies serving Washington include Sweet's Fuel Service Inc Inc and Richards Fuels Inc Richard Fuels.
Washington Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Washington: 26 companies .
Average Number of Washington Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 42436
Washington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Washington heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Washington temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Washington households are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Washington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Washington County Households | Washington County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
192 Washington Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Washington homes last winter, the Washington community relies on its 192 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Washington, 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 residences and companies throughout Washington and the surrounding vicinity.
