Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Morris Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice 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 homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Morris homeowners 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 (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 Morris
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Morris. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using heating oil dipped from 241,254 to 185,324, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Morris
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel dropped from 79,338 to 70,406, a 11% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 2,509,666 to 2,627,206, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Morris
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Morris. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 501,738 to 617,773, a 23% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Morris
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. Today, 11,798 homes in Morris are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 83% gain from 2020, when 6,464 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 fuel oil use fluctuates from year to year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers 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 heating oil, choosing which of the 34 heating oil companies that serve Morris makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 budget-conscious. 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 Morris cash heating oil companies serving Morris include Affordable Oil and Longhorn Oil Company.
Morris Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Morris: 34 companies .
Average Number of Morris Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 5451
Morris Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Morris heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Morris temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Morris houses are reliant on number two heating 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 You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Morris homeowners during this past winter, the Morris community looks to its 678 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Morris, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Morris and the surrounding vicinity.