Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Morris Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Morris, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Morris households is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The other 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
Heating oil has become less popular in Morris. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using fuel oil dipped from 271,179 to 185,324, a 32% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Morris
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 59,916 to 70,406, a 18% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,389,530 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Morris
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Morris. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 423,650 to 617,773, a 46% 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 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 Morris are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 267% gain from 2016, when 3,212 homes used 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 oil use fluctuates from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 34 heating oil companies that serve Morris makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 78 “full-service” oil companies that serve Morris. Full service companies such as Patriot Discount Oil or Skylands Energy Service offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system 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 client 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 families who are on a budget. 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. 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 Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Morris: 34 companies .
Average Number of Morris Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 5451
Morris Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences in Morris heat their homes with fuel 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 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 Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Morris houses during this past winter, the Morris community looks to its 678 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 Morris, 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 Morris and the surrounding region.
