Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Monmouth Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Monmouth, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Monmouth households 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%).
Monmouth 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 Monmouth
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Monmouth. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of residents using number two heating oil declined from 231,690 to 185,324, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Monmouth
Between 2022 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel fell from 89,511 to 70,406, a 21% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,560,329 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Monmouth
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Monmouth. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 568,299 to 617,773, a 9% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Monmouth
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 Monmouth are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 49% gain from 2022, when 7,925 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Monmouth County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Monmouth County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Monmouth’s overall number two heating oil consumption fluctuates yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Monmouth was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Monmouth County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Monmouth County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Monmouth homeowners heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 15 heating oil companies that serve Monmouth is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 98 “full-service” oil companies that serve Monmouth. Full service companies such as Lawes Home Comfort or Globe Petroleum offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Monmouth cash heating oil companies serving Monmouth include Jacquar Fuel Oil and Globe Discount.
Monmouth Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Monmouth: 15 companies .
Average Number of Monmouth Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 12355
Monmouth Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 houses in Monmouth heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Monmouth temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Monmouth households depend on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Monmouth County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Monmouth County Households | Monmouth County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
371 Monmouth Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Monmouth families last winter, the Monmouth community looks to its 371 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Monmouth, 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 Monmouth and the surrounding area.