Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Burlington Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Burlington, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Burlington 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%).
Burlington County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number 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
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Burlington. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of families using fuel oil fell from 231,690 to 185,324, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Burlington
Between 2022 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel declined from 89,511 to 70,406, a 21% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,560,329 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Burlington
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Burlington. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 568,299 to 617,773, a 9% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Burlington
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. Currently, 11,798 homes in Burlington are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 49% gain from 2022, when 7,925 homes utilized 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 heating oil usage fluctuates each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional heating oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Burlington can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Burlington cash heating oil companies serving Burlington include Bottom Dollar Heating Oil and Lineman Management Inc.
Burlington Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Burlington: 13 companies .
Average Number of Burlington Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 14256
Burlington Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 families in Burlington heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Burlington temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Burlington houses depend 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 Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Burlington homeowners during this past winter, the Burlington community looks to its 212 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 area.