Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Hudson Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners 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 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Hudson households 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%).
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
Heating oil has become less popular in Hudson. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of households using heating oil dropped from 299,222 to 185,324, a 38% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Hudson
Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 61,082 to 70,406, a 15% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 2,398,744 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Hudson
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Hudson. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 385,792 to 617,773, a 60% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Hudson
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Today, 11,798 homes in Hudson are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 562% gain from 2015, when 1,781 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 usage changes each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Hudson cash heating oil companies serving Hudson include Deinrich Fuel Oil Inc and National Fuel Oil Inc.
Hudson Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: 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 oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Hudson temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Hudson homes depend 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 Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Hudson households the last heating season, the Hudson community relies on its 198 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 Hudson, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Hudson and the surrounding region.
