Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Burlington Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Burlington, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Burlington families 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%).
Burlington 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 Burlington
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Burlington. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of families using fuel oil dipped from 356,378 to 185,324, a 48% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Burlington
Between 2012 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 60,990 to 70,406, a 15% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,368,222 to 2,627,206, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Burlington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Burlington. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 377,997 to 617,773, a 63% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Burlington
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Currently, 11,798 homes in Burlington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1077% gain from 2012, when 1,002 homes used active solar heating.
Burlington County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Burlington County homeowners purchased a total of 11 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Burlington’s overall number two heating oil use fluctuates yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Burlington was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Burlington County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Burlington County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Burlington households heating with heating oil, picking which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Burlington is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 17 “full-service” oil companies that serve Burlington. Full service companies such as PFO Heating & Air Conditioning or PFO Heating & Air Conditioning offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Burlington cash heating oil companies serving Burlington include Bottom Dollar Heating Oil and Lineman Management Inc.
Burlington Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Burlington: 13 companies .
Average Number of Burlington Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 14256
Burlington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Burlington heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Burlington temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Burlington families are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Burlington County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Burlington County Households | Burlington County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
212 Burlington Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Burlington homeowners the last heating season, the Burlington community depends on its 212 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery can be summed up in two steps: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Burlington, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Burlington and the surrounding region.