Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bronx Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety 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 homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Bronx families is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The other 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
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Bronx. In the 4 years since 2021, the number of families using fuel oil decreased from 1,293,770 to 1,103,323, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bronx
Between 2021 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased from 388,311 to 377,922, a 3% change. Comparing 2021 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 4,489,009 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 2021, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 1,118,015 to 1,365,710, a 22% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bronx
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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, 16,434 homes in Bronx are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 86% gain from 2021, when 8,858 homes used 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 usage fluctuates annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more 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 homes heating with oil, choosing which of the 120 heating oil companies that serve Bronx can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Bronx cash heating oil companies serving Bronx include Ronco Oil Inc and TDR Heating Corp.
Bronx Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Bronx: 120 companies .
Average Number of Bronx Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 9194
Bronx Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 homes in Bronx heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bronx temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Bronx families depend on fuel 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 Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Bronx residences last winter, the Bronx community looks to its 120 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 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.
