Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in New Jersey, used by 2,618,092 or 74.00% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for New Jersey homeowners is electricity, used by 532,344 homes (15.05%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (258,381), propane (91,132), no fuel (30,011), and other fuels (40,620).

New Jersey Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	New Jersey Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	2.6M	74.00%
Electricity	532,344	15.05%
Heating Oil	258,381	7.30%
Propane	91,132	2.58%
No Fuel	30,011	0.85%
Other Fuels	19,813	0.56%
Wood	12,502	0.35%
Solar	7,334	0.21%
Coal	971	0.03%

Natural gas (74.00)

Electricity (15.05)

Heating oil (7.30)

Propane (2.58)

No fuel (0.85)

Other fuels (0.56)

Wood (0.35)

Solar (0.21)

Coal (0.03)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in New Jersey

Heating oil has become less popular in New Jersey. In the 10 years since 2012, the number of heating oil homes fell from 397,731 to 258,381, a 35.04% drop.

New Jersey Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	420,231
2012	397,731
2013	374,390
2014	353,791
2015	336,160
2016	314,964
2017	298,525
2018	284,056
2019	271,250
2020	260,383
2021	256,421
2022	258,381

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in New Jersey

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 63,015 to 91,132.

Between 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,345,510 to 2,618,092.

Electricity use for home heating in New Jersey

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in New Jersey. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 349,249 to 532,344, a 52.43% increase.

Solar use for home heating in New Jersey

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, 7,334 homes in New Jersey are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1646.19% increase from 2012, when only 420 homes had installed active solar heating.

New Jersey Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For New Jersey homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 286 heating oil companies that serve New Jersey 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 6 “full-service” oil companies that serve New Jersey. Full service companies such as Lawes Home Comfort or Globe Petroleum 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey include E & S Heating & Cooling LLC and Jacquar Fuel Oil.

New Jersey Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving New Jersey: 286 companies

Average Number Of New Jersey Homes Served Per Company: 903 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per New Jersey Oil Company: 593,699 gallons per year

New Jersey Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 241,763 households in New Jersey heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when New Jersey temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

7% of New Jersey Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

New Jersey Households	New Jersey Heating Oil Households
3.3M	241,763

286 New Jersey Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 170 million gallons of heating oil delivered to New Jersey homeowners during the winter of 2023, the New Jersey community relies on its 286 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 New Jersey, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Buckeye, NJ and Meenan in Tullytown, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in New Jersey.