Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Lancaster County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Lancaster County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,275,546 homes (24.46%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (786,449), propane (256,098), wood (122,435), and other fuels (139,486).

Lancaster County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Lancaster County Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	2.6M	51.75%
Electricity	1.2M	24.46%
Heating Oil	786,449	15.08%
Propane	256,098	4.91%
Wood	122,435	2.35%
Coal	51,531	0.99%
Other Fuels	50,506	0.97%
No Fuel	33,356	0.64%
Solar	4,093	0.08%

Natural gas (51.75)

Electricity (24.46)

Heating oil (15.08)

Propane (4.91)

Wood (2.35)

Coal (0.99)

Other fuels (0.97)

No fuel (0.64)

Solar (0.08)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Lancaster County

Heating oil has become less popular in Lancaster County. In the 3 years since 2019, the number of heating oil homes fell from 814,213 to 786,449, a 3.41% drop.

Lancaster County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	1.0M
2012	1.0M
2013	963,754
2014	930,735
2015	899,276
2016	864,952
2017	843,020
2018	828,104
2019	814,213
2020	811,086
2021	790,823
2022	786,449

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

Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 222,412 to 256,098.

Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,599,328 to 2,698,438.

Electricity use for home heating in Lancaster County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Lancaster County. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,168,162 to 1,275,546, a 9.19% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Lancaster 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, 4,093 homes in Lancaster County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 66.79% increase from 2019, when only 2,454 homes had installed active solar heating.

Lancaster County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Lancaster County homeowners purchased a total of 24 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Lancaster 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 Lancaster County, the average outside temperature was 4.7° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Lancaster County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2022 - 2023	41.3° F
Winter 2021 - 2022	36.6° F

Lancaster County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Lancaster County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 111 heating oil companies that serve Lancaster 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 126 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lancaster County. Full service companies such as Aero Energy or Suburban Propane 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County include PRECISION LLC HEATING AIR PLUMBING and Pronto Plumbing Heating Air Drains.

Lancaster County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Lancaster County: 111 companies

Average Number Of Lancaster County Homes Served Per Company: 336 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Lancaster County Oil Company: 217,264 gallons per year

Lancaster County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

37,373 households in Lancaster County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Lancaster County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

17% of Lancaster County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Lancaster County Households	Lancaster County Heating Oil Households
210,056	37,373

2,046 Lancaster County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 24 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Lancaster County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Lancaster County community relies on its 2,046 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 Lancaster County, two of the closest terminals are Lucknow in SinkingSprings, PA and Etmt in Montello, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Lancaster County.