Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Heating oil is the most popular choice in Connecticut, used by 539,715 or 38.13% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Connecticut homeowners is natural gas, used by 516,459 homes (36.49%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (244,511), propane (75,150), wood (23,585), and other fuels (30,431).
Connecticut Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Connecticut Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Heating Oil | 539,715 | 38.13% |
Natural Gas | 516,459 | 36.49% |
Electricity | 244,511 | 17.27% |
Propane | 75,150 | 5.31% |
Wood | 23,585 | 1.67% |
Other Fuels | 18,400 | 1.30% |
No Fuel | 9,314 | 0.66% |
Solar | 1,852 | 0.13% |
Coal | 865 | 0.06% |
Heating oil (38.13)
Natural gas (36.49)
Electricity (17.27)
Propane (5.31)
Wood (1.67)
Other fuels (1.30)
No fuel (0.66)
Solar (0.13)
Coal (0.06)
Heating oil has become less popular in Connecticut. In the 3 years since 2019, the number of heating oil homes fell from 556,309 to 539,715, a 2.98% drop.
Connecticut Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 654,783 |
2012 | 644,340 |
2013 | 627,716 |
2014 | 613,504 |
2015 | 595,244 |
2016 | 581,382 |
2017 | 574,588 |
2018 | 565,439 |
2019 | 556,309 |
2020 | 551,817 |
2021 | 544,406 |
2022 | 539,715 |
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 58,705 to 75,150.
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 487,610 to 516,459.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Connecticut. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 227,068 to 244,511, a 7.68% increase.
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space 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 in the basement.
Currently, 1,852 homes in Connecticut are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 64.92% increase from 2019, when only 1,123 homes had installed active solar heating.