Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Providence County, used by 238,742 or 54.26% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Providence County homeowners is heating oil, used by 123,813 homes (28.14%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (48,633), propane (20,429), wood (6,316), and other fuels (5,741).

Providence County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Providence County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	238,742	54.26%
Heating Oil	123,813	28.14%
Electricity	48,633	11.05%
Propane	20,429	4.64%
Wood	6,316	1.44%
Other Fuels	2,906	0.66%
No Fuel	2,274	0.52%
Solar	368	0.08%
Coal	193	0.04%

Natural gas (54.26)

Heating oil (28.14)

Electricity (11.05)

Propane (4.64)

Wood (1.44)

Other fuels (0.66)

No fuel (0.52)

Solar (0.08)

Coal (0.04)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Providence County

Heating oil has become less popular in Providence County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 147,768 to 123,813, a 16.21% drop.

Providence County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	157,426
2012	153,479
2013	147,768
2014	142,612
2015	137,451
2016	132,040
2017	128,844
2018	125,460
2019	122,583
2020	121,062
2021	122,289
2022	123,813

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Providence County

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 8,584 to 20,429.

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 207,902 to 238,742.

Electricity use for home heating in Providence County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Providence County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 35,965 to 48,633, a 35.22% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Providence County

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, 368 homes in Providence County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 257.28% increase from 2013, when only 103 homes had installed active solar heating.