Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Mercer Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Mercer, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Mercer households 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%).
Mercer 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 Mercer
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Mercer. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of households using fuel oil decreased from 299,222 to 185,324, a 38% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Mercer
Between 2015 and today, the number of households 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 ramped up from 2,398,744 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Mercer
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Mercer. 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 Mercer
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. Today, 11,798 homes in Mercer are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 562% gain from 2015, when 1,781 homes had active solar heating.
Mercer County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Mercer County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Mercer’s overall number two heating oil consumption fluctuates from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Mercer was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Mercer County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Mercer County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Mercer homeowners heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 12 heating oil companies that serve Mercer is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 13 “full-service” oil companies that serve Mercer. Full service companies such as PFO Heating & Air Conditioning or PFO Heating & Air Conditioning offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are on a budget. 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 Mercer cash heating oil companies serving Mercer include Jacquar Fuel Oil and K W Rastall Inc.
Mercer Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Mercer: 12 companies .
Average Number of Mercer Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 15444
Mercer Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Mercer heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Mercer temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Mercer homes depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Mercer County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Mercer County Households | Mercer County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
70 Mercer Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Mercer homes during this past winter, the Mercer community looks to its 70 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 Mercer, 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 Mercer and the surrounding region.
