Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Warren Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a choice 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 households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Warren 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%).
Warren 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 Warren
Fuel oil has become less popular in Warren. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of households using fuel oil declined from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Warren
Between 2018 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 Warren
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Warren. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Warren
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Warren are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 homes incorporated 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 usage varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 residences heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Warren is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 8 “full-service” oil companies that serve Warren. Full service companies such as Patriot Discount Oil or Patriot Discount Oil offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace 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 homeowner 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 homeowners who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Warren cash heating oil companies serving Warren include Hackettstown Corporation and FuelRite Petroleum Inc.
Warren Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel 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 residences rely on heating 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 Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of oil delivered to Warren homes the last heating season, the Warren community relies on its 42 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 Warren, 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 Warren and the surrounding area.