Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Jefferson Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Jefferson, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Jefferson homeowners is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
Jefferson 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 Jefferson
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Jefferson. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of homeowners using fuel oil declined from 1,393,560 to 1,103,323, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Jefferson
Between 2019 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 319,576 to 377,922, a 18% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,519,999 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Jefferson
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Jefferson. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 911,445 to 1,365,710, a 50% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Jefferson
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Jefferson are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 89% gain from 2019, when 8,697 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Jefferson County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Jefferson County homeowners purchased a total of 349,865 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Jefferson’s overall number two heating oil consumption fluctuates each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Jefferson was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Jefferson County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Jefferson County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Jefferson residences heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Jefferson makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Jefferson. Full service companies such as or offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic 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 household 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 clients who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 Jefferson cash heating oil companies serving Jefferson include Philly Fuels Inc and Philly Fuels Inc.
Jefferson Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Oil Companies Serving Jefferson: 2 companies .
Average Number of Jefferson Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 551662
Jefferson Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Jefferson heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Jefferson temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Jefferson households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Jefferson County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Jefferson County Households | Jefferson County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
3 Jefferson Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 664,748,714 gallons of heating oil delivered to Jefferson families during this past winter, the Jefferson community looks to its 3 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 Jefferson, 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 homes and businesses throughout Jefferson and the surrounding region.
