Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ocean Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Ocean, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Ocean families 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 (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 Ocean
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Ocean. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using heating oil declined from 241,254 to 185,324, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ocean
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel fell 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 ramped up from 2,509,666 to 2,627,206, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ocean
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Ocean. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 501,738 to 617,773, a 23% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Ocean
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Now, 11,798 homes in Ocean are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 83% gain from 2020, when 6,464 homes used 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 consumption changes yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 5 heating oil companies that serve Ocean is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ocean. Full service companies such as Lawes Home Comfort or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Also known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better 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. Some of the 2 Ocean cash heating oil companies serving Ocean include Lawes Discount Oil and Point Bay Fuel.
Ocean Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Ocean: 5 companies .
Average Number of Ocean Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 37065
Ocean Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 houses in Ocean heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ocean temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Ocean homes depend on fuel 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 |
7 Ocean Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Ocean families during this past winter, the Ocean community looks to its 7 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 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 residences and companies throughout Ocean and the surrounding area.
