Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Sussex Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Sussex, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Sussex families 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%).
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
Heating oil has become less popular in Sussex. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using fuel oil declined from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Sussex
Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 67,930 to 70,406, a 4% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 2,435,183 to 2,627,206, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Sussex
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Sussex. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Sussex
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. Today, 11,798 homes in Sussex are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 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 use fluctuates annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 families heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Sussex makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 9 “full-service” oil companies that serve Sussex. Full service companies such as NRG Heat & Power 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 number two heating 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 known by the names “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 fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Sussex cash heating oil companies serving Sussex include Finch Fuel and Apple Heating Oil.
Sussex Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: 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 households in Sussex heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Sussex temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Sussex families depend on heating 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 Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Sussex residences last winter, the Sussex community relies on its 44 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 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 area.
