Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Western Mass, used by 141,081 or 41.93% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Western Mass homeowners is heating oil, used by 94,837 homes (28.18%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (61,266), propane (23,091), wood (11,581), and other fuels (8,800).
Western Mass Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Western Mass Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 141,081 | 41.93% |
Heating Oil | 94,837 | 28.18% |
Electricity | 61,266 | 18.21% |
Propane | 23,091 | 6.86% |
Wood | 11,581 | 3.44% |
Other Fuels | 4,429 | 1.32% |
No Fuel | 2,693 | 0.80% |
Solar | 1,178 | 0.35% |
Coal | 500 | 0.15% |
Natural gas (41.93)
Heating oil (28.18)
Electricity (18.21)
Propane (6.86)
Wood (3.44)
Other fuels (1.32)
No fuel (0.80)
Solar (0.35)
Coal (0.15)
Heating oil has become less popular in Western Mass. In the 4 years since 2018, the number of heating oil homes fell from 95,999 to 94,837, a 1.21% drop.
Western Mass Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 124,576 |
2012 | 119,897 |
2013 | 114,792 |
2014 | 108,571 |
2015 | 104,275 |
2016 | 100,047 |
2017 | 97,667 |
2018 | 95,999 |
2019 | 96,896 |
2020 | 95,678 |
2021 | 94,792 |
2022 | 94,837 |
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 16,443 to 23,091.
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 134,658 to 141,081.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Western Mass. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 55,491 to 61,266, a 10.41% 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, 1,178 homes in Western Mass are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 190.86% increase from 2018, when only 405 homes had installed active solar heating.