Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Mercer Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Mercer, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Mercer residents 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%).
Mercer 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 Mercer
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Mercer. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of homeowners using heating oil fell from 329,733 to 185,324, a 44% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Mercer
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 60,943 to 70,406, a 16% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 2,354,824 to 2,627,206, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Mercer
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Mercer. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 388,226 to 617,773, a 59% 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. Currently, 11,798 homes in Mercer are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 829% gain from 2013, when 1,270 homes used 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 usage fluctuates from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 residences heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 13 heating oil companies that serve Mercer is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners 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. Examples of 2 Mercer cash heating oil companies serving Mercer include Jacquar Fuel Oil and K W Rastall Inc.
Mercer Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Mercer: 13 companies .
Average Number of Mercer Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 14256
Mercer Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences in Mercer heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Mercer temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Mercer residences depend on 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 |
71 Mercer Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Mercer houses the last heating season, the Mercer community looks to its 71 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Mercer, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Mercer and the surrounding area.
