Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Cumberland Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Cumberland, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Cumberland households is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (5%), Propane (2%), Other (0.4%), and Solar (0.3%).
Cumberland 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 Cumberland
Fuel oil has become less popular in Cumberland. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil dipped from 215,314 to 185,324, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Cumberland
Between 2023 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel declined from 95,605 to 70,406, a 26% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,552,593 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Cumberland
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Cumberland. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 606,537 to 617,773, a 2% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Cumberland
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 Cumberland are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 26% gain from 2023, when 9,388 homes used active solar heating.
Cumberland County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Cumberland County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Cumberland’s overall number two heating oil consumption fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Cumberland was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Cumberland County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Cumberland County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Cumberland homes heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Cumberland can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Cumberland. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 families who are looking to save money. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Cumberland cash heating oil companies serving Cumberland include Bottom Dollar Heating Oil and Pedroni Fuel Co.
Cumberland Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Cumberland: 2 companies .
Average Number of Cumberland Households Served per Heating Oil company : 92662
Cumberland Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Cumberland heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Cumberland temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Cumberland homes are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Cumberland County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Cumberland County Households | Cumberland County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
2 Cumberland Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Cumberland houses last winter, the Cumberland community looks to its 2 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Cumberland, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Cumberland and the surrounding region.
