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

Westmoreland County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County

Heating oil has become less popular in Westmoreland 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.

Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 351.77% increase from 2011, when only 906 homes had installed active solar heating.

Westmoreland County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Westmoreland County homeowners purchased a total of 13 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

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

Westmoreland County Average Winter Temperature

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

Westmoreland County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Westmoreland County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 114 heating oil companies that serve Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County include J&L Heating and Cooling and Courtesy Oil Inc.

Westmoreland County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Westmoreland County: 114 companies

Average Number Of Westmoreland County Homes Served Per Company: 170 homes

Average Gallons Delivered per Westmoreland County Oil Company: 110,078 gallons per year

Westmoreland County Heating Oil Delivery Overview

19,447 households in Westmoreland County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential when Westmoreland County thermometers drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

12% of Westmoreland County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Westmoreland County Households	Westmoreland County Heating Oil Households
150,786	19,447

3,399 Westmoreland County Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 13 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Westmoreland County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Westmoreland County community relies on its 3,399 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 Westmoreland County, two of the closest terminals are Etmt in Delmont, PA and Etmt in Delmont, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Westmoreland County.