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Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Monmouth County Home Heating Fuel Comparison

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

Monmouth County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

FuelMonmouth County Households % of Households
Natural Gas2.6M74.00%
Electricity532,34415.05%
Heating Oil258,3817.30%
Propane91,1322.58%
No Fuel30,0110.85%
Other Fuels19,8130.56%
Wood12,5020.35%
Solar7,3340.21%
Coal9710.03%

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 Monmouth County

Heating oil has become less popular in Monmouth County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 374,390 to 258,381, a 30.99% drop.

Monmouth County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

YearHeating Oil Households
2011420,231
2012397,731
2013374,390
2014353,791
2015336,160
2016314,964
2017298,525
2018284,056
2019271,250
2020260,383
2021256,421
2022258,381

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Monmouth County

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 62,512 to 91,132.

Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,354,543 to 2,618,092.

Electricity use for home heating in Monmouth County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Monmouth County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 361,146 to 532,344, a 47.40% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Monmouth 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 Monmouth County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1134.68% increase from 2013, when only 594 homes had installed active solar heating.

Monmouth County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Monmouth County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Monmouth County Average Winter Temperature

Heating SeasonAverage Temperature
Winter 2022 - 202347.2° F
Winter 2021 - 202242° F

Monmouth County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Monmouth County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 126 heating oil companies that serve Monmouth 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 98 “full-service” oil companies that serve Monmouth County. 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 Monmouth 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 Monmouth County include E & S Heating & Cooling LLC and Jacquar Fuel Oil.

Monmouth County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Monmouth County: 126 companies

Average Number Of Monmouth County Homes Served Per Company: 68 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Monmouth County Oil Company: 44,916 gallons per year

Monmouth County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

8,612 households in Monmouth County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Monmouth County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

3% of Monmouth County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Monmouth County HouseholdsMonmouth County Heating Oil Households
242,1638,612

3,047 Monmouth County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 6 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Monmouth County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Monmouth County community relies on its 3,047 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 Monmouth County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Newark, NJ and Psx in Tremley Point, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Monmouth County.

More Monmouth County HVAC Resources