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Camp Dennison, OH Canton, OH Chagrin Falls, OH Chardon, OH Chesterland, OH Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Cleves, OH Columbus, OH Cortland, OHM
Madison, OH Maineville, OH Maple Heights, OH Marion, OH Marysville, OH Mason, OH Mentor, OH Miamitown, OH Miamiville, OH Middletown, OH Milford, OH Millersburg, OH Monroe, OH Montville, OH Morrow, OH Moscow, OHPropane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ohio Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Ohio, used by 1,700,774 or 69.02% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Ohio homeowners is electricity, used by 649,163 homes (26.35%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (57,730), heating oil (30,040), other fuels (15,384), and other fuels (26,407).
Ohio Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Ohio Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 1.7M | 69.0% |
| Electricity | 649,163 | 26.4% |
| Propane | 57,730 | 2.3% |
| Heating Oil | 30,040 | 1.2% |
| Other Fuels | 15,384 | 0.6% |
| No Fuel | 14,580 | 0.6% |
| Wood | 10,738 | 0.4% |
| Coal | 565 | 0.0% |
| Solar | 524 | 0.0% |
Natural gas (69.0%)
Electricity (26.4%)
Propane (2.3%)
Heating oil (1.2%)
Other fuels (0.6%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Wood (0.4%)
Coal (0.0%)
Solar (0.0%)
#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Ohio
Heating oil has become less popular in Ohio. In the 5 years since 2017, the number of heating oil homes fell from 31,506 to 30,040, a 4.65% drop.
Ohio Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
| Year | Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 45,327 |
| 2012 | 42,324 |
| 2013 | 40,257 |
| 2014 | 37,543 |
| 2015 | 34,770 |
| 2016 | 32,920 |
| 2017 | 31,506 |
| 2018 | 30,678 |
| 2019 | 29,965 |
| 2020 | 28,939 |
| 2021 | 28,640 |
| 2022 | 30,040 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ohio
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 46,455 to 57,730.
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 1,668,134 to 1,700,774.
Electricity use for home heating in Ohio
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Ohio. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 553,864 to 649,163, a 17.21% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Ohio
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, 524 homes in Ohio are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58.79% increase from 2017, when only 330 homes had installed active solar heating.
Ohio Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Ohio homeowners purchased a total of 63 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Ohio’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 Ohio, the average outside temperature was 1.2° F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Ohio Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 38.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 39.8° F |
Ohio Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Ohio homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 39 heating oil companies that serve Ohio 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 Ohio. 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 Ohio 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 Ohio include Arnolds Marathon and Adams Heating & Cooling.
Ohio Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Ohio: 39 companies
Average Number Of Ohio Homes Served Per Company: 2,564 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Ohio Oil Company: 1,624,306 gallons per year
Ohio Heating Oil Delivery Overview
Approximately 70,902 households in Ohio heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ohio temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
1% of Ohio Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Ohio Households | Ohio Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 3.8M | 70,902 |
39 Ohio Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 63 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Ohio homeowners during the winter of 2024, the Ohio community relies on its 39 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 Ohio, two of the closest terminals are Citgo in Linden, NJ and Citgo in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Ohio.
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