Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Salem Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Salem, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Salem residents is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The rest of the 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
Fuel oil has become less popular in Salem. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil declined from 231,690 to 185,324, a 20% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Salem
Between 2022 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 89,511 to 70,406, a 21% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,560,329 to 2,627,206, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Salem
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Salem. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 568,299 to 617,773, a 9% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Salem
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Now, 11,798 homes in Salem are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 49% gain from 2022, when 7,925 homes had 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 fuel oil usage varies each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 homes heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Salem plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Salem. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic 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: also referred to as “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 oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Salem cash heating oil companies serving Salem include Bottom Dollar Heating Oil and Ross Fogg Fuel Oil Co Inc.
Salem Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Salem: 2 companies .
Average Number of Salem Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 92662
Salem Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 families 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 families rely on fuel 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 You Can Trust
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Salem homes during this past winter, the Salem community relies on its 2 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Salem, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Salem and the surrounding region.
