Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hudson Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Hudson, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Hudson 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%).
Hudson 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 Hudson
Fuel oil has become losing popularity in Hudson. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 309,236 to 185,324, a 40% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hudson
Between 2014 and today, the number of homes 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 grew from 2,393,423 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hudson
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Hudson. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 384,329 to 617,773, a 61% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hudson
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. Now, 11,798 homes in Hudson are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 575% gain from 2014, when 1,748 homes used active solar heating.
Hudson County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Hudson County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Hudson’s overall fuel oil consumption fluctuates annually correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Hudson was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Hudson County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Hudson County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Hudson households heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Hudson makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hudson. Full service companies such as or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 families who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower 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. Examples of 2 Hudson cash heating oil companies serving Hudson include Deinrich Fuel Oil Inc and National Fuel Oil Inc.
Hudson Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Hudson: 22 companies .
Average Number of Hudson Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 8424
Hudson Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 families in Hudson heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hudson temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Hudson families rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Hudson County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Hudson County Households | Hudson County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
198 Hudson Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Hudson households last winter, the Hudson community relies on its 198 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Hudson, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Hudson and the surrounding vicinity.