Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Monmouth Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Monmouth, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Monmouth 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%).
Monmouth 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 Monmouth
Heating oil has become less popular in Monmouth. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of homeowners using heating oil dipped 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 houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased 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 gaining popularity in Monmouth. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 568,299 to 617,773, a 9% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Monmouth
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows 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 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 oil use fluctuates yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more 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 families heating with oil, selecting which of the 16 heating oil companies that serve Monmouth makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace 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 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 looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Monmouth cash heating oil companies serving Monmouth include Jacquar Fuel Oil and Globe Discount.
Monmouth Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Monmouth: 16 companies .
Average Number of Monmouth Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 11583
Monmouth Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households 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 houses 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 |
403 Monmouth Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Monmouth homes last winter, the Monmouth community relies on its 403 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 Monmouth, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Monmouth and the surrounding area.