Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bronx 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 Bronx, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. 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 (in Number 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
Oil has become less frequently used in Bronx. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of families using oil fell from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bronx
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,504,504 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bronx
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Bronx. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bronx
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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Bronx are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 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 heating oil usage changes from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 homes heating with heating oil, picking which of the 120 heating oil companies that serve Bronx plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want 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 heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are looking to save money. 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. A few of the 2 Bronx cash heating oil companies serving Bronx include Ronco Oil Inc and TDR Heating Corp.
Bronx Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Bronx: 120 companies .
Average Number of Bronx Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 9194
Bronx Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Bronx heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bronx temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Bronx households are reliant on 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 |
120 Bronx Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Bronx families the last heating season, the Bronx community relies on its 120 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Bronx, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Bronx and the surrounding vicinity.
