Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Passaic Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Passaic, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Passaic 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%).
Passaic 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 Passaic
Oil has become decreasing in demand in Passaic. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of families using heating oil declined from 215,314 to 185,324, a 14% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Passaic
Between 2023 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased 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 ramped up from 2,552,593 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Passaic
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Passaic. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 606,537 to 617,773, a 2% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Passaic
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. Now, 11,798 homes in Passaic are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 26% gain from 2023, when 9,388 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Passaic County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Passaic County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Passaic’s overall number two heating oil use changes each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Passaic was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Passaic County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Passaic County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Passaic households heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 23 heating oil companies that serve Passaic can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 14 “full-service” oil companies that serve Passaic. Full service companies such as Advantage Oil or Advantage Oil offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel 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 homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Passaic cash heating oil companies serving Passaic include Affordable Oil and Apple Heating Oil.
Passaic Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Passaic: 23 companies .
Average Number of Passaic Households Served per Heating Oil company : 8058
Passaic Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences in Passaic heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Passaic temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Passaic houses depend on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Passaic County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Passaic County Households | Passaic County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
196 Passaic Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Passaic houses the last heating season, the Passaic community relies on its 196 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Passaic, 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 Passaic and the surrounding vicinity.