Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bronx Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Bronx, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Bronx families is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Bronx County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,725,574 | 377,922 | 1,365,710 | 1,103,323 | 92,054 | 16,434 | 100,232 |
| 2024 | 4,679,558 | 370,910 | 1,292,868 | 1,143,783 | 96,147 | 15,259 | 97,524 |
| 2023 | 4,581,041 | 402,335 | 1,263,700 | 1,212,850 | 100,015 | 11,208 | 104,369 |
| 2022 | 4,542,443 | 400,969 | 1,190,880 | 1,279,260 | 99,080 | 11,314 | 103,810 |
| 2021 | 4,489,009 | 388,311 | 1,118,015 | 1,293,770 | 108,202 | 8,858 | 98,952 |
| 2020 | 4,504,504 | 353,944 | 1,014,730 | 1,343,665 | 111,106 | 8,778 | 89,024 |
| 2019 | 4,519,999 | 319,576 | 911,445 | 1,393,560 | 114,011 | 8,697 | 79,096 |
| 2018 | 4,397,917 | 308,020 | 890,554 | 1,459,976 | 120,159 | 6,022 | 82,621 |
| 2017 | 4,339,349 | 294,973 | 867,925 | 1,496,843 | 122,088 | 5,988 | 77,386 |
| 2016 | 4,227,422 | 273,838 | 860,856 | 1,540,787 | 126,890 | 6,535 | 79,479 |
| 2015 | 4,202,413 | 265,224 | 808,370 | 1,649,860 | 141,016 | 3,120 | 78,999 |
| 2014 | 4,186,666 | 258,775 | 770,577 | 1,752,656 | 145,012 | 2,573 | 76,963 |
| 2013 | 4,074,510 | 259,367 | 764,400 | 1,802,442 | 148,422 | 2,525 | 81,841 |
| 2012 | 4,044,389 | 237,738 | 775,390 | 1,901,118 | 155,603 | 2,168 | 61,429 |
| 2011 | 4,014,222 | 222,634 | 707,016 | 1,979,067 | 143,287 | 2,728 | 63,609 |
| 2010 | 3,961,085 | 227,607 | 676,262 | 2,068,004 | 143,242 | 1,823 | 61,664 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Bronx
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Bronx. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of families using fuel oil fell from 1,540,787 to 1,103,323, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bronx
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 273,838 to 377,922, a 38% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bronx
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Bronx. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bronx
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Bronx are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Bronx County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Bronx County homeowners purchased a total of 73 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Bronx’s overall fuel oil consumption changes annually based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems 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 Bronx was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Bronx County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Bronx County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Bronx families heating with heating oil, choosing which of the 119 heating oil companies that serve Bronx can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 58 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bronx. Full service companies such as Plitnick Home Fuel & Service Co LLC or Nrg Heat & Power LLC offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and HVAC 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 customers 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 either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Bronx cash heating oil companies serving Bronx include Ronco Oil Inc and TDR Heating Corp.
Bronx Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Bronx: 119 companies .
Average Number of Bronx Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 9272
Bronx Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Bronx heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bronx temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Bronx families are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Bronx County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Bronx County Households | Bronx County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
119 Bronx Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Bronx homeowners the last heating season, the Bronx community depends on its 119 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 Bronx, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Bronx and the surrounding area.
