Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: New York Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in New York, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for New York households is Electricity, used by 1,365,710 homes (18%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (14%), Propane (5%), Other (1%), and Wood (1%).
New York 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 New York
Oil has become less popular in New York. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of homeowners using heating oil decreased from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in New York
Between 2020 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,504,504 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in New York
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in New York. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in New York
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 New York are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 homes incorporated active solar heating.
New York County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, New York County homeowners purchased a total of 61 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
New York’s overall oil consumption fluctuates annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in New York was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
New York County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
New York County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For New York families heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 123 heating oil companies that serve New York is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 59 “full-service” oil companies that serve New York. 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 number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel 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 known by the names “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 fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Some of the 2 New York cash heating oil companies serving New York include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
New York Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving New York: 123 companies .
Average Number of New York Houses Served per Heating Oil company : 8970
New York Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in New York heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when New York temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of New York households are reliant on oil delivery each winter.
7% of New York County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| New York County Households | New York County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
123 New York Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to New York households during this past winter, the New York community relies on its 123 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 New York, 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 New York and the surrounding vicinity.
