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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Western Mass Home Heating Fuel Comparison

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

FuelWestern Mass Households % of Households
Natural Gas141,08141.93%
Heating Oil94,83728.18%
Electricity61,26618.21%
Propane23,0916.86%
Wood11,5813.44%
Other Fuels4,4291.32%
No Fuel2,6930.80%
Solar1,1780.35%
Coal5000.15%

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)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Western Mass

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)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011124,576
2012119,897
2013114,792
2014108,571
2015104,275
2016100,047
201797,667
201895,999
201996,896
202095,678
202194,792
202294,837

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Western Mass

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.

Electricity use for home heating in Western Mass

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 use for home heating in Western Mass

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.