Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Morris Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Morris, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Morris residents 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%).
Morris 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 Morris
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Morris. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of residents using oil decreased from 215,314 to 185,324, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Morris
Between 2023 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 95,605 to 70,406, a 26% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,552,593 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Morris
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Morris. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 606,537 to 617,773, a 2% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Morris
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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Morris are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 26% gain from 2023, when 9,388 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Morris County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Morris County homeowners purchased a total of 18 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Morris’s overall heating oil use changes annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Morris was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Morris County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Morris County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Morris families heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 34 heating oil companies that serve Morris makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 78 “full-service” oil companies that serve Morris. Full service companies such as Patriot Discount Oil or Skylands Energy Service offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic 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 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 when you're running low. A few of the 2 Morris cash heating oil companies serving Morris include Affordable Oil and Longhorn Oil Company.
Morris Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Morris: 34 companies .
Average Number of Morris Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 5451
Morris Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Morris heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Morris temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Morris households are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Morris County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Morris County Households | Morris County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
678 Morris Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Morris households last winter, the Morris community looks to its 678 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 Morris, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Morris and the surrounding vicinity.