Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Hunterdon County, used by 2,618,092 or 74.00% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Hunterdon County 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).

Hunterdon County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Hunterdon County 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 Hunterdon County

Heating oil has become less popular in Hunterdon County. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 298,525 to 258,381, a 13.45% drop.

Hunterdon County 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 Hunterdon County

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 61,831 to 91,132.

Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,396,108 to 2,618,092.

Electricity use for home heating in Hunterdon County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Hunterdon County. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 397,564 to 532,344, a 33.90% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Hunterdon County

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 Hunterdon County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 213.82% increase from 2017, when only 2,337 homes had installed active solar heating.

Hunterdon County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Hunterdon County homeowners purchased a total of 11 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Hunterdon County’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 Hunterdon County, the average outside temperature was 5.2° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Hunterdon County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	47.2° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	42° F

Hunterdon County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Hunterdon County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 71 heating oil companies that serve Hunterdon County 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 40 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hunterdon County. Full service companies such as Patriot Discount Oil or PFO Heating & Air Conditioning 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 Hunterdon County 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 Hunterdon County include Custom Air Solutions LLC and The Ice Man.

Hunterdon County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Hunterdon County: 71 companies

Average Number Of Hunterdon County Homes Served Per Company: 229 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Hunterdon County Oil Company: 151,008 gallons per year

Hunterdon County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

16,315 households in Hunterdon County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Hunterdon County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

32% of Hunterdon County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Hunterdon County Households	Hunterdon County Heating Oil Households
49,898	16,315

714 Hunterdon County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 11 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Hunterdon County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Hunterdon County community relies on its 714 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 Hunterdon County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Buckeye, NJ and Spmt in Fullerton, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Hunterdon County.