Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hudson 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 Hudson, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Hudson homeowners 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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Hudson. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of residents using fuel oil dipped from 241,742 to 185,324, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hudson
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel dropped from 71,419 to 70,406, a 1% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,474,295 to 2,627,206, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hudson
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Hudson. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 448,114 to 617,773, a 38% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hudson
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. Now, 11,798 homes in Hudson are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 123% gain from 2019, when 5,284 homes had 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 number two heating oil consumption fluctuates yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional number two heating 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 homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Hudson plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 Hudson. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. 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. Examples of 2 Hudson cash heating oil companies serving Hudson include Deinrich Fuel Oil Inc and National Fuel Oil Inc.
Hudson Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Hudson: 22 companies .
Average Number of Hudson Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 8424
Hudson Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Hudson heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hudson temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Hudson homes are reliant on number two 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 Go The Distance
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Hudson homes last winter, the Hudson community looks to its 198 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Hudson, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Hudson and the surrounding area.