Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Monroe Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Monroe, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Monroe residents 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%).
Monroe 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 Monroe
Fuel oil has become less popular in Monroe. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of families using heating oil dropped from 1,459,976 to 1,103,323, a 24% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Monroe
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 308,020 to 377,922, a 23% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,397,917 to 4,725,574, a 7% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Monroe
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Monroe. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 890,554 to 1,365,710, a 53% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Monroe
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Monroe are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 173% gain from 2018, when 6,022 homes had active solar heating.
Monroe County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Monroe County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Monroe’s overall fuel oil consumption changes yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Monroe was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Monroe County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Monroe County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Monroe households heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Monroe is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 2 “full-service” oil companies that serve Monroe. Full service companies such as Dave Reisdorf Inc Reisdorf Oil & Propane or Dave Reisdorf Inc Reisdorf Oil & Propane offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Monroe cash heating oil companies serving Monroe include Frank T Rose Roses Enterprises and Hometowne Energy Co Inc.
Monroe Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Monroe: 8 companies .
Average Number of Monroe Households Served per Heating Oil company : 137915
Monroe Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Monroe heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Monroe temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Monroe households rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
7% of Monroe County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Monroe County Households | Monroe County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
82 Monroe Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Monroe families during this past winter, the Monroe community looks to its 82 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Monroe, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Monroe and the surrounding vicinity.