Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Gloucester Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Gloucester, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Gloucester residents 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%).
Gloucester 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 Gloucester
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Gloucester. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of residents using number two heating oil dropped from 309,236 to 185,324, a 40% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Gloucester
Between 2014 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 62,396 to 70,406, a 13% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,393,423 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Gloucester
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Gloucester. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 384,329 to 617,773, a 61% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Gloucester
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Now, 11,798 homes in Gloucester are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 575% gain from 2014, when 1,748 homes had active solar heating.
Gloucester County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Gloucester County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Gloucester’s overall heating oil use varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Gloucester was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Gloucester County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Gloucester County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Gloucester households heating with oil, picking which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Gloucester is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Gloucester. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers 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. Some of the 2 Gloucester cash heating oil companies serving Gloucester include SJ Fuel South Co Inc and Bottom Dollar Heating Oil.
Gloucester Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Gloucester: 7 companies .
Average Number of Gloucester Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 26475
Gloucester Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 houses in Gloucester heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Gloucester temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Gloucester homes are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Gloucester County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Gloucester County Households | Gloucester County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
34 Gloucester Fuel Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Gloucester families during this past winter, the Gloucester community relies on its 34 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Gloucester, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Gloucester and the surrounding region.
