Oil (Heating Only)

About a third of Rhode Islanders use heating oil, which gets delivered to their homes by trucks. The oil is then burned in a furnace or boiler to provide space and hot water heating. Oil heating is the most common option for consumers who are not connected to a natural gas line or who have not yet switched to an electric heat pump system.

The gases released by oil heating systems contribute to climate change and cause air pollution that poses health concerns. Both issues decrease when heating oil is blended with higher amounts of biofuel.

Heating oil tends to be one of the most expensive heating options for your home and oil prices change a lot, based on a number of external factors. Rhode Island provides incentives to homeowners looking to replace their oil heating with heat pumps, which provide more efficient heating and cooling.

If you aren’t ready to switch to a heat pump and want to use fuel that is less polluting, you can start by increasing the percentage of biofuel in your heating oil.

Here you can find current and historical price data on heating oil in Rhode Island and here are answers to FAQ on Rhode Island’s heating oil.

Contact Us

Sarah Doherty

Thermal Decarbonization Manager

sarah.doherty@energy.ri.gov