Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Lucas County, used by 3,119,789 or 64.85% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Lucas County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,213,218 homes (25.22%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (272,855), heating oil (100,023), wood (81,253), and other fuels (75,025).
Lucas County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Lucas County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 3.1M | 64.85% |
Electricity | 1.2M | 25.22% |
Propane | 272,855 | 5.67% |
Heating Oil | 100,023 | 2.08% |
Wood | 81,253 | 1.69% |
Other Fuels | 43,475 | 0.90% |
No Fuel | 27,402 | 0.57% |
Coal | 3,017 | 0.06% |
Solar | 1,131 | 0.02% |
Natural gas (64.85)
Electricity (25.22)
Propane (5.67)
Heating oil (2.08)
Wood (1.69)
Other fuels (0.90)
No fuel (0.57)
Coal (0.06)
Solar (0.02)
Heating oil has become less popular in Lucas County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 107,419 to 100,023, a 6.89% drop.
Lucas County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 141,038 |
2012 | 132,252 |
2013 | 125,428 |
2014 | 119,022 |
2015 | 113,013 |
2016 | 107,419 |
2017 | 104,197 |
2018 | 101,487 |
2019 | 99,323 |
2020 | 95,712 |
2021 | 92,977 |
2022 | 100,023 |
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 239,585 to 272,855.
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,047,926 to 3,119,789.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Lucas County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,057,081 to 1,213,218, a 14.77% increase.
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, 1,131 homes in Lucas County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12.65% increase from 2016, when only 1,004 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Lucas County homeowners purchased a total of 215,333 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Lucas 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 Lucas County, the average outside temperature was 12.0° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Lucas County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 49.2° F |
Winter 2021 - 2022 | 37.2° F |
For Lucas County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 20 heating oil companies that serve Lucas 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 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lucas County. 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 Lucas 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 Lucas County include Pugh Heating Co. and Action Heating & A/C.
Lucas County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Lucas County: 20 companies
Average Number Of Lucas County Homes Served Per Company: 17 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Lucas County Oil Company: 10,766 gallons per year
340 households in Lucas County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Lucas County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
0% of Lucas County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Lucas County Households | Lucas County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
125,934 | 340 |
20 Lucas County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 215,333 gallons of heating oil delivered to Lucas County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Lucas County community relies on its 20 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 Lucas County, 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 Lucas County.