Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Gloucester Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences 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 families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Gloucester residents is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The remaining 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 12 years since 2013, the number of households using fuel oil fell from 329,733 to 185,324, a 44% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Gloucester
Between 2013 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 60,943 to 70,406, a 16% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,354,824 to 2,627,206, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Gloucester
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Gloucester. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 388,226 to 617,773, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Gloucester
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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 Gloucester are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 829% gain from 2013, when 1,270 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 fuel oil consumption varies from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional 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 residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 7 heating oil companies that serve Gloucester makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel 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: Often called “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 number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Gloucester cash heating oil companies serving Gloucester include SJ Fuel South Co Inc and Bottom Dollar Heating Oil.
Gloucester Fuel 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 homes 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 houses are reliant 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Gloucester homeowners the last heating season, the Gloucester community relies on its 34 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 area.
