Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hudson Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Hudson, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Hudson families 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 (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 Hudson
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Hudson. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of homeowners using oil dropped from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hudson
Between 2018 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped 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 grew from 2,435,183 to 2,627,206, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hudson
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Hudson. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% 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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Hudson are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 homes utilized 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 usage fluctuates annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, 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 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 homes heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 22 heating oil companies that serve Hudson 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 select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Hudson. Full service companies such as or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic fuel 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 known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower 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 Hudson cash heating oil companies serving Hudson include Deinrich Fuel Oil Inc and National Fuel Oil Inc.
Hudson Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Hudson: 22 companies .
Average Number of Hudson Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 8424
Hudson Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences 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 families depend 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 Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Hudson homes during this past winter, the Hudson community looks to its 198 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Hudson, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Hudson and the surrounding vicinity.
