Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sussex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Sussex, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Sussex homeowners 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%).
Sussex 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 Sussex
Oil has become less popular in Sussex. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of households using oil fell from 299,222 to 185,324, a 38% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sussex
Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 61,082 to 70,406, a 15% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,398,744 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sussex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Sussex. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 385,792 to 617,773, a 60% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sussex
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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 Sussex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 562% gain from 2015, when 1,781 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Sussex County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Sussex County homeowners purchased a total of 8 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Sussex’s overall number two heating oil consumption varies annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Sussex was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Sussex County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Sussex County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Sussex residences heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Sussex plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 9 “full-service” oil companies that serve Sussex. Full service companies such as NRG Heat & Power or Advantage Oil offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 known by the names “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are looking to save money. 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. A few of the 2 Sussex cash heating oil companies serving Sussex include Finch Fuel and Apple Heating Oil.
Sussex Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Sussex: 8 companies .
Average Number of Sussex Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 23166
Sussex Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 homes in Sussex heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sussex temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Sussex households depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Sussex County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Sussex County Households | Sussex County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
44 Sussex Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Sussex households the last heating season, the Sussex community looks to its 44 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Sussex, 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 Sussex and the surrounding vicinity.
