Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Lebanon County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Lebanon 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).

Lebanon County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Lebanon 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 Lebanon County

Heating oil has become less popular in Lebanon County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,034,857 to 786,449, a 24.00% drop.

Lebanon 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 Lebanon County

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 178,660 to 256,098.

Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,537,831 to 2,698,438.

Electricity use for home heating in Lebanon County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Lebanon County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 969,117 to 1,275,546, a 31.62% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Lebanon 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 Lebanon County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 351.77% increase from 2011, when only 906 homes had installed active solar heating.

Lebanon County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Lebanon County homeowners purchased a total of 12 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Lebanon County Average Winter Temperature

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

Lebanon County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Lebanon County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 62 heating oil companies that serve Lebanon 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 45 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lebanon County. Full service companies such as Meyer Oil Company or Sauder Fuel 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 Lebanon 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 Lebanon County include PRECISION LLC HEATING AIR PLUMBING and Ameri Tec Mechanical.

Lebanon County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Lebanon County: 62 companies

Average Number Of Lebanon County Homes Served Per Company: 309 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Lebanon County Oil Company: 199,852 gallons per year

Lebanon County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

19,202 households in Lebanon County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Lebanon County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

33% of Lebanon County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Lebanon County Households	Lebanon County Heating Oil Households
56,869	19,202

459 Lebanon County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 12 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Lebanon County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Lebanon County community relies on its 459 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 Lebanon County, two of the closest terminals are Lucknow in Highspire, PA and Lucknow in SinkingSprings, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Lebanon County.