Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: New York 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 New York, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for New York families 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%).
New York County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. 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
Fuel oil has become decreasing in demand in New York. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of households using number two heating oil fell from 1,540,787 to 1,103,323, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in New York
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped 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 ramped up from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in New York
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in New York. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% 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. Currently, 16,434 homes in New York are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes utilized 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 use fluctuates from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional fuel 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 oil, picking which of the 122 heating oil companies that serve New York makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick 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 clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace 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 referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 New York cash heating oil companies serving New York include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
New York Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving New York: 122 companies .
Average Number of New York Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 9044
New York Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in New York heat their homes with number two 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 homes rely on heating 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 |
122 New York Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to New York households last winter, the New York community relies on its 122 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 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 number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout New York and the surrounding area.
