Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Union Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Union, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Union households 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%).
Union 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 Union
Fuel oil has become less frequently used in Union. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of families using oil decreased from 356,378 to 185,324, a 48% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Union
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 60,990 to 70,406, a 15% change. Comparing 2012 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,368,222 to 2,627,206, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Union
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Union. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 377,997 to 617,773, a 63% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Union
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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Union are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1077% gain from 2012, when 1,002 homes utilized active solar heating.
Union County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Union County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Union’s overall oil use fluctuates annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Union was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Union County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Union County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Union homeowners heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 29 heating oil companies that serve Union makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 18 “full-service” oil companies that serve Union. Full service companies such as Advantage Oil or Skylands Energy Service offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC 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 family 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 families who are on a budget. 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. Some of the 2 Union cash heating oil companies serving Union include Affordable Oil and Longhorn Oil Company.
Union Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Union: 29 companies .
Average Number of Union Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 6390
Union Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences in Union heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Union temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Union families rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Union County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Union County Households | Union County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
489 Union Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Union residences last winter, the Union community relies on its 489 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 Union, 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 Union and the surrounding region.
