Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ocean Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Ocean, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Ocean 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%).
Ocean 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 Ocean
Oil has become less popular in Ocean. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil declined from 215,314 to 185,324, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ocean
Between 2023 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel fell 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 shot up from 2,552,593 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ocean
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Ocean. 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 Ocean
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Ocean are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 26% gain from 2023, when 9,388 homes had active solar heating.
Ocean County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Ocean County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Ocean’s overall fuel oil use varies yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Ocean was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Ocean County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Ocean County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Ocean homes heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Ocean can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ocean. Full service companies such as Lawes Home Comfort or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler 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 family 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 households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel 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 Ocean cash heating oil companies serving Ocean include Lawes Discount Oil and Point Bay Fuel.
Ocean Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Ocean: 4 companies .
Average Number of Ocean Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 46331
Ocean Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Ocean heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ocean temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Ocean residences rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Ocean County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Ocean County Households | Ocean County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
5 Ocean Number Two Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Ocean residences the last heating season, the Ocean community looks to its 5 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Ocean, 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 Ocean and the surrounding area.
