Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Salem Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Salem, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Salem 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%).
Salem 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 Salem
Oil has become less popular in Salem. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of residents using heating oil dipped from 198,050 to 185,324, a 6% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Salem
Between 2024 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 66,233 to 70,406, a 6% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel stayed the same at 2,627,206, a 0% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Salem
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Salem. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 592,186 to 617,773, a 4% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Salem
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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Salem are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 8% gain from 2024, when 10,926 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Salem County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Salem County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Salem’s overall number two heating oil use varies annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Salem was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Salem County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Salem County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Salem households heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Salem is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Salem. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel 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 customer 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 clients who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the 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 Salem cash heating oil companies serving Salem include Bottom Dollar Heating Oil and Ross Fogg Fuel Oil Co Inc.
Salem Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Salem: 2 companies .
Average Number of Salem Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 92662
Salem Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Salem heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Salem temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Salem households depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Salem County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Salem County Households | Salem County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
2 Salem Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Salem residences during this past winter, the Salem community looks to its 2 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Salem, 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 Salem and the surrounding area.
