Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Warren Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Warren, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Warren 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%).
Warren 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 Warren
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Warren. In the 13 years since 2012, the number of homeowners using fuel oil dipped from 356,378 to 185,324, a 48% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Warren
Between 2012 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 ramped up from 2,368,222 to 2,627,206, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Warren
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Warren. Since 2012, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 377,997 to 617,773, a 63% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Warren
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Currently, 11,798 homes in Warren are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 1077% gain from 2012, when 1,002 homes used active solar heating.
Warren County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Warren County homeowners purchased a total of 5 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Warren’s overall number two heating oil use varies yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Warren was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Warren County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Warren County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Warren homes heating with oil, choosing which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Warren can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 8 “full-service” oil companies that serve Warren. Full service companies such as Patriot Discount Oil or Patriot Discount Oil offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system 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 customer 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 homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Warren cash heating oil companies serving Warren include Hackettstown Corporation and FuelRite Petroleum Inc.
Warren Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Warren: 8 companies .
Average Number of Warren Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 23166
Warren Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 residences in Warren heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Warren temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Warren households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Warren County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Warren County Households | Warren County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
42 Warren Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Warren families last winter, the Warren community depends on its 42 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Warren, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Warren and the surrounding vicinity.