Delaware Heating Oil Price Trends
Updated Today at 12:00 AM
| Time Horizon | Price Change |
|---|---|
| 1 Week Trend | -$0.3 |
| 1 Month Trend | +$0.2 |
| 1 Year Trend | -$0.5 |
Delaware Heating Oil Price History
Updated Today at 12:00 AM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 07/01/2025 | $3.600 |
| 06/30/2025 | $3.600 |
| 06/27/2025 | $3.700 |
| 06/26/2025 | $3.700 |
| 06/25/2025 | $3.800 |
| 06/24/2025 | $3.900 |
| 06/23/2025 | $3.900 |
| 06/20/2025 | $3.900 |
| 06/19/2025 | $3.800 |
| 06/18/2025 | $3.800 |
| 06/17/2025 | $3.700 |
| 06/16/2025 | $3.650 |
| 06/13/2025 | $3.600 |
| 06/12/2025 | $3.500 |
| 06/11/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/10/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/09/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/06/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/05/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/04/2025 | $3.450 |
| 06/03/2025 | $3.400 |
| 06/02/2025 | $3.400 |
| 05/30/2025 | $3.400 |
| 05/29/2025 | $3.400 |
| 05/28/2025 | $3.400 |
| 05/27/2025 | $3.450 |
| 05/26/2025 | $3.450 |
| 05/23/2025 | $3.450 |
| 05/22/2025 | $3.450 |
| 05/21/2025 | $3.450 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Delaware Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Delaware, used by 169,865 or 43.18% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Delaware homeowners is electricity, used by 144,312 homes (36.68%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (38,199), propane (34,768), other fuels (3,090), and other fuels (3,090).
Delaware Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Delaware Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 169,865 | 43.2% |
| Electricity | 144,312 | 36.7% |
| Heating Oil | 38,199 | 9.7% |
| Propane | 34,768 | 8.8% |
| Other Fuels | 3,090 | 0.8% |
| Wood | 2,630 | 0.7% |
| No Fuel | 2,463 | 0.6% |
| Solar | 1,088 | 0.3% |
| Coal | 902 | 0.2% |
Natural gas (43.2%)
Electricity (36.7%)
Heating oil (9.7%)
Propane (8.8%)
Other fuels (0.8%)
Wood (0.7%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Solar (0.3%)
Coal (0.2%)
#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Delaware
Heating oil has become less popular in Delaware. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 47,102 to 38,199, a 18.90% drop.
Delaware Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
| Year | Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 58,474 |
| 2012 | 56,875 |
| 2013 | 54,361 |
| 2014 | 51,755 |
| 2015 | 49,733 |
| 2016 | 47,102 |
| 2017 | 44,319 |
| 2018 | 43,122 |
| 2019 | 41,550 |
| 2020 | 40,121 |
| 2021 | 38,925 |
| 2022 | 38,199 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Delaware
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel fell from 36,023 to 34,768.
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel fell from 143,688 to 169,865.
Electricity use for home heating in Delaware
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Delaware. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 113,337 to 144,312, a 27.33% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Delaware
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, 1,088 homes in Delaware are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 406.05% increase from 2016, when only 215 homes had installed active solar heating.
Delaware Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Delaware homeowners purchased a total of 15 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Delaware’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Delaware, the average outside temperature was 2.3° F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Delaware Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 38.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 40.9° F |
Delaware Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Delaware homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 27 heating oil companies that serve Delaware is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Delaware. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Delaware homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Delaware include Shellhorn & Hill Inc and Roman Discount Oil.
Delaware Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Delaware: 27 companies
Average Number Of Delaware Homes Served Per Company: 1,414 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Delaware Oil Company: 572,369 gallons per year
Delaware Heating Oil Delivery Overview
Approximately 38,199 households in Delaware heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Delaware temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
9% of Delaware Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Delaware Households | Delaware Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 393,426 | 38,199 |
27 Delaware Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 15 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Delaware homeowners during the winter of 2024, the Delaware community relies on its 27 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Delaware, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Salisbury, MD and Pbfenergy in Delaware City, DE. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Delaware.
