Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: New York Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in New York, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for New York households 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%).
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 7 years since 2018, the number of residents using heating oil fell from 1,459,976 to 1,103,323, a 24% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in New York
Between 2018 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 ramped up from 4,397,917 to 4,725,574, a 7% change.
Electricity use for home heating in New York
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in New York. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 890,554 to 1,365,710, a 53% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in New York
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in New York are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 173% gain from 2018, when 6,022 homes used 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 fuel oil use varies annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more 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, choosing which of the 122 heating oil companies that serve New York can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 customers who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 New York cash heating oil companies serving New York include Ronco Oil Inc and Nyc Oil & Energy Corp.
New York Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving New York: 122 companies .
Average Number of New York Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 9044
New York Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households 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 houses depend 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 |
122 New York Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to New York families the last heating season, the New York community looks to its 122 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 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 oil to residences and companies throughout New York and the surrounding region.
