Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Livingston Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Livingston, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Livingston 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%).
Livingston 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 Livingston
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Livingston. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of homeowners using fuel oil fell from 1,540,787 to 1,103,323, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Livingston
Between 2016 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped 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 rose from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Livingston
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Livingston. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Livingston
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 Livingston are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes had active solar heating.
Livingston County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Livingston County homeowners purchased a total of 129,151 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Livingston’s overall heating oil usage changes yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn additional oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Livingston was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Livingston County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Livingston County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Livingston homeowners heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Livingston makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Livingston. Full service companies such as Valley Energy Services LLC Valley Fuels or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are budget-conscious. 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 1 Livingston cash heating oil companies serving Livingston include Frank T Rose Roses Enterprises and .
Livingston Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Livingston: 2 companies .
Average Number of Livingston Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 551662
Livingston Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Livingston heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Livingston temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Livingston houses rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Livingston County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Livingston County Households | Livingston County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
2 Livingston Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Livingston residences the last heating season, the Livingston community depends on its 2 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Livingston, 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 Livingston and the surrounding vicinity.
