Families have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Delaware, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Delaware homeowners 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%).

Delaware 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 Delaware

Heating oil has become less popular in Delaware. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of homeowners using oil decreased from 1,649,860 to 1,103,323, a 33% drop.

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Delaware

Between 2015 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 265,224 to 377,922, a 42% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,202,413 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.

Electricity use for home heating in Delaware

Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Delaware. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 808,370 to 1,365,710, a 69% change.

Adoption of solar home heating systems in Delaware

Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. Now, 16,434 homes in Delaware are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 427% gain from 2015, when 3,120 homes used active solar heating.

Delaware County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Delaware County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Delaware’s overall oil use fluctuates annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Delaware was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Delaware County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
2024 - 2025	28.1° F
2023 - 2024	33.5° F

Delaware County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Delaware households heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 11 heating oil companies that serve Delaware 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 44 “full-service” oil companies that serve Delaware. Full service companies such as Reinhardt Corp or A And L Home Fuel LLC offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and boiler 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families who are on a budget. 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. A few of the 2 Delaware cash heating oil companies serving Delaware include Sunrise Heating Fuels Inc and Worcester Fuel Oil Inc Cash Oil Assoc.

Delaware Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Delaware: 11 companies .
Average Number of Delaware Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 100302

Delaware Heating Oil Delivery Overview

1,103,323 households in Delaware heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Delaware temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Delaware houses are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.

7% of Delaware County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Delaware County Households	Delaware County Heating Oil Households
15.6M	1.1M

90 Delaware Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance

With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Delaware homeowners last winter, the Delaware community depends on its 90 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Delaware, 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 residences and companies throughout Delaware and the surrounding region.

Heating Oil Near You In These Adjacent Counties