Study: How Columbia County, NY Homeowners Heat Their Homes (2013-2023)

Columbia County loves fuel oil, but there is a significant number of people opting for propane, natural gas, and heat pumps.

At Precision HVAC, we’ve been serving Columbia County for over 25 years, and we’ve noticed the trends ourselves. But thanks to this breakdown of the latest US Census Data, we can finally see it in objective terms. Columbia County homeowners are slowly but steadily shifting away from fuel oil and wood, and embracing some other kinds of heating, especially in towns like Kinderhook, Copake and Chatham. Here are some of the county-wide statistics that pop out to us:

1. Propane Use More Than Doubled

The biggest shift countywide? Bottled or tank gas (propane) use soared from 2,069 to 4,645 households, which is a 124% increase. Rural and off-grid homeowners are clearly favoring propane for its flexibility and compatibility with modern furnaces and water heaters.

2. Fuel Oil Is Still Common, but Falling Fast

Over 12,000 Columbia County homes still heat with fuel oil or kerosene, but that’s down from 13,700 in 2013, which is about an 11% decline. We expect this number to keep dropping as equipment ages and fuel costs rise.

Homeowners are switching to:

  • Propane in rural areas
  • Electric heat pumps and mini-splits in smaller or modern homes
  • Natural gas where available (limited in most towns, but growing in places like Kinderhook)

3. Electric Heating and Mini-Splits Are Slowly Catching On

Electric heat grew modestly across the county, from 3,550 to 3,854 homes. That’s a 8.6% increase, likely driven by ductless mini-splits and heat pumps. These are popular in seasonal homes, smaller residences, or for energy-conscious upgrades.

Columbia County Heating Trends (2013-2023)

Fuel Type20132023Change% Change
Utility Gas3,2423,473▲ 231+7.1%
Bottled/LP Gas2,0694,645▲ 2,576+124.5%
Electricity3,5503,854▲ 304+8.6%
Fuel Oil/Kerosene13,70012,150▼ -1,550-11.3%
Wood2,1741,368▼ -806-37.1%
Solar Energy1538▲ 23+153%
Other Fuel393396▲ 3Steady
No Fuel Used40135▲ 95+237.5%

Chatham, NY Heating Breakdown (2013-2023)

Fuel Type20132023Change
Utility Gas90▼ 9
Bottled/LP Gas203391▲ 188
Electricity123191▲ 68
Fuel Oil1,2461,163▼ 83
Coal033▲ 33
Wood18043▼ 137
Solar88
Other Fuel1818
No Fuel Used30▼ 3

You can see that Chatham homeowners are slightly moving away from fuel oil and wood, with the slack being taken up by propane and ductless mini-splits/heat pumps.

Copake, NY Heating Breakdown (2013-2023)

Fuel Type20132023Change
Utility Gas3865▲ 27
Bottled/LP Gas44186▲ 142
Electricity160186▲ 26
Fuel Oil896788▼ 108
Coal03▲ 3
Wood168157▼ 11
Solar00
Other Fuel3742▲ 5
No Fuel Used07▲ 7

Copake homeowners also are slowly moving off of oil, although it remains by far the most common heat source. Propane, natural gas and electric forms of heat are slowly gaining ground.

Hudson, NY Heating Breakdown (2013-2023)

Fuel Type20132023Change
Utility Gas2,0351,763▼ 272
Bottled/LP Gas15126▲ 111
Electricity679721▲ 42
Fuel Oil/Kerosene19392▼ 101
Coal or Coke00
Wood110▼ 11
Solar Energy00
Other Fuel020▲ 20
No Fuel Used47▲ 3

Unlike the more rural towns in Columbia County, Hudson has quite a bit of natural gas infrastructure, so natural gas furnaces are what heat most Hudson homes. However, there’s been about a ten percent dip in natural gas in Hudson, with the slack being taken up by propane and a slight increase in ductless mini-splits and heat pumps.

Kinderhook, NY Heating Breakdown (2013-2023)

Fuel Type20132023Change
Utility Gas60131▲ 71
Bottled/LP Gas359661▲ 302
Electricity529628▲ 99
Fuel Oil2,0141,730▼ 284
Coal30▼ 3
Wood144127▼ 17
Solar06▲ 6
Other Fuel9057▼ 33
No Fuel Used210▼ 21

In Kinderhook, again, fuel oil is by far the most common heat source, but it is slowly losing ground to propane, ductless mini-splits and heat pumps, and natural gas.

Are you a Columbia County homeowner looking into your heating options? Give us a call at 845-399-0669. For 26 years, we’ve been a trusted local partner for fair, effective and efficient heating and cooling systems in the Hudson Valley.