Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Gloucester Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Gloucester, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Gloucester 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%).
Gloucester 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 Gloucester
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Gloucester. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using fuel oil dropped from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Gloucester
Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up 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 jumped from 2,435,183 to 2,627,206, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Gloucester
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Gloucester. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Gloucester
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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 Gloucester are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 homes utilized 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 oil use varies annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 families heating with heating oil, picking which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Gloucester makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose 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 heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating 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: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Gloucester: 7 companies .
Average Number of Gloucester Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 26475
Gloucester Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Gloucester heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Gloucester temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Gloucester households depend on heating 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 Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Gloucester houses the last heating season, the Gloucester community depends on its 34 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 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 area.
