Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bergen Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Bergen, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Bergen homeowners is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (5%), Propane (2%), Other (0.4%), and Solar (0.3%).
Bergen County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,627,206 | 70,406 | 617,773 | 185,324 | 10,688 | 11,798 | 14,006 |
| 2024 | 2,623,428 | 66,233 | 592,186 | 198,050 | 10,223 | 10,926 | 13,381 |
| 2023 | 2,552,593 | 95,605 | 606,537 | 215,314 | 10,749 | 9,388 | 20,755 |
| 2022 | 2,560,329 | 89,511 | 568,299 | 231,690 | 10,054 | 7,925 | 17,145 |
| 2021 | 2,545,038 | 87,258 | 555,363 | 240,765 | 9,820 | 7,643 | 19,506 |
| 2020 | 2,509,666 | 79,338 | 501,738 | 241,254 | 10,094 | 6,464 | 16,414 |
| 2019 | 2,474,295 | 71,419 | 448,114 | 241,742 | 10,368 | 5,284 | 13,323 |
| 2018 | 2,435,183 | 67,930 | 437,888 | 258,889 | 12,069 | 4,626 | 14,313 |
| 2017 | 2,425,008 | 62,490 | 415,119 | 271,265 | 11,994 | 4,801 | 12,938 |
| 2016 | 2,389,530 | 59,916 | 423,650 | 271,179 | 13,466 | 3,212 | 14,924 |
| 2015 | 2,398,744 | 61,082 | 385,792 | 299,222 | 14,398 | 1,781 | 12,721 |
| 2014 | 2,393,423 | 62,396 | 384,329 | 309,236 | 14,471 | 1,748 | 13,957 |
| 2013 | 2,354,824 | 60,943 | 388,226 | 329,733 | 17,421 | 1,270 | 10,710 |
| 2012 | 2,368,222 | 60,990 | 377,997 | 356,378 | 13,974 | 1,002 | 10,889 |
| 2011 | 2,342,608 | 58,315 | 360,855 | 376,568 | 11,869 | 332 | 7,917 |
| 2010 | 2,344,455 | 63,241 | 343,112 | 392,540 | 11,886 | 325 | 8,439 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Bergen
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Bergen. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of homeowners using oil dipped from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bergen
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 67,930 to 70,406, a 4% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,435,183 to 2,627,206, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bergen
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Bergen. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bergen
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Bergen are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 homes used active solar heating.
Bergen County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Bergen County homeowners purchased a total of 9 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Bergen’s overall heating oil consumption changes from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Bergen was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Bergen County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Bergen County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Bergen households heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Bergen is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 3 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bergen. Full service companies such as Advantage Oil or Advantage Oil offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Bergen cash heating oil companies serving Bergen include Deinrich Fuel Oil Inc and National Fuel Oil Inc.
Bergen Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Bergen: 22 companies .
Average Number of Bergen Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 8424
Bergen Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Bergen heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bergen temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Bergen homes rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Bergen County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Bergen County Households | Bergen County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
743 Bergen Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Bergen homes during this past winter, the Bergen community relies on its 743 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Bergen, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Bergen and the surrounding vicinity.
