Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sussex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety 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 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Sussex residents 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 (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 Sussex
Oil has become less popular in Sussex. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of homeowners using fuel oil decreased from 309,236 to 185,324, a 40% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sussex
Between 2014 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 62,396 to 70,406, a 13% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,393,423 to 2,627,206, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sussex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Sussex. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 384,329 to 617,773, a 61% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sussex
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. Currently, 11,798 homes in Sussex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 575% gain from 2014, when 1,748 homes used 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 fuel oil consumption fluctuates annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of 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 households heating with fuel oil, selecting 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 are willing to pay a premium for 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 homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Sussex cash heating oil companies serving Sussex include Finch Fuel and Apple Heating Oil.
Sussex Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Sussex: 8 companies .
Average Number of Sussex Houses Served per 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 residences are reliant 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 Fuel Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Sussex homeowners during this past winter, the Sussex community looks to its 44 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 Sussex, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Sussex and the surrounding region.
