Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ocean Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Ocean, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next 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 (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
Heating oil has become less popular in Ocean. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using heating oil dropped from 271,179 to 185,324, a 32% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ocean
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 shot up from 2,389,530 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ocean
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Ocean. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 423,650 to 617,773, a 46% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Ocean
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 Ocean are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 267% gain from 2016, when 3,212 homes utilized 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 changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, choosing which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Ocean is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Ocean cash heating oil companies serving Ocean include Lawes Discount Oil and Point Bay Fuel.
Ocean Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Ocean: 4 companies .
Average Number of Ocean Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 46331
Ocean Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Ocean heat their homes with heating 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 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Ocean households last winter, the Ocean community looks to its 5 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 homes and businesses throughout Ocean and the surrounding vicinity.
