Date	Average Oil Price
11/27/2024	$3.090
11/26/2024	$3.090
11/25/2024	$3.090
11/24/2024	$3.090
11/23/2024	$3.090
11/22/2024	$3.090
11/21/2024	$3.090
11/20/2024	$3.080
11/19/2024	$3.080
11/18/2024	$3.080
11/17/2024	$3.080
11/16/2024	$3.080
11/15/2024	$3.080
11/14/2024	$3.090
11/13/2024	$3.080
11/12/2024	$3.070
11/11/2024	$3.060
11/10/2024	$3.070
11/09/2024	$3.070
11/08/2024	$2.900
11/07/2024	$2.900
11/06/2024	$2.900
11/05/2024	$2.900
11/04/2024	$2.900
11/03/2024	$2.900
11/02/2024	$2.900
11/01/2024	$2.900
10/31/2024	$2.900
10/30/2024	$2.900
10/29/2024	$2.910

Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Long Island Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Long Island, used by 494,539 or 50.55% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Long Island homeowners is heating oil, used by 372,316 homes (38.06%). The remaining homes are heated with electricity (72,512), propane (32,054), no fuel (10,576), and other fuels (14,145).

Long Island Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households

Fuel	Long Island Households	% of Households
Natural Gas	494,539	50.6%
Heating Oil	372,316	38.1%
Electricity	72,512	7.4%
Propane	32,054	3.3%
No Fuel	10,576	1.1%
Other Fuels	6,775	0.7%
Wood	4,773	0.5%
Solar	1,928	0.2%
Coal	669	0.1%

Natural gas (50.6%)

Heating oil (38.1%)

Electricity (7.4%)

Propane (3.3%)

No fuel (1.1%)

Other fuels (0.7%)

Wood (0.5%)

Solar (0.2%)

Coal (0.1%)

#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Long Island

Heating oil has become less popular in Long Island. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 421,206 to 372,316, a 11.61% drop.

Long Island Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)

Year	Heating Oil Households
2011	487,699
2012	476,326
2013	462,390
2014	449,135
2015	436,117
2016	421,206
2017	412,668
2018	400,279
2019	390,813
2020	382,562
2021	376,550
2022	372,316

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Long Island

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 16,471 to 32,054.

Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 426,774 to 494,539.

Electricity use for home heating in Long Island

Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Long Island. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 58,152 to 72,512, a 24.69% increase.

Solar use for home heating in Long Island

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, 1,928 homes in Long Island are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 246.76% increase from 2016, when only 556 homes had installed active solar heating.

Long Island Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Long Island homeowners purchased a total of 665 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Long Island’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 Long Island, the average outside temperature was 4.1° F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Long Island Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
Winter 2023 - 2024	47.3° F
Winter 2022 - 2023	51.4° F

Long Island Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Long Island homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 235 heating oil companies that serve Long Island 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 94 “full-service” oil companies that serve Long Island. Full service companies such as Lewisy Fuel Oil Inc or Beato Fuel And Appliance Corporation 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 Long Island 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 Long Island include Best Price Fuel Oil Inc and Rosales Oil Company Inc.

Long Island Heating Oil Company Fast Facts

Heating Oil Companies Serving Long Island: 235 companies

Average Number Of Long Island Homes Served Per Company: 1,584 homes

Long Island Heating Oil Delivery Overview

Approximately 5,068,061 households in Long Island heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Long Island temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.

44% of Long Island Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Long Island Households	Long Island Heating Oil Households
11.3M	5.0M

235 Long Island Oil Companies Go the Distance

With 665 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Long Island homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Long Island community relies on its 235 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 Long Island, two of the closest terminals are Etmt in Kingston, PA and Citgo in Vestal, NY. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Long Island.