Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ontario Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Ontario, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Ontario residents 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%).
Ontario 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 Ontario
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Ontario. 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 Ontario
Between 2016 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 grew from 4,227,422 to 4,725,574, a 12% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ontario
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Ontario. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 860,856 to 1,365,710, a 59% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Ontario
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 Ontario are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Ontario County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Ontario County homeowners purchased a total of 86,743 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Ontario’s overall fuel oil usage changes yearly based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Ontario was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Ontario County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Ontario County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Ontario residences heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Ontario is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ontario. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two 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 customer 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 clients who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the 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 Ontario cash heating oil companies serving Ontario include Superior Plus Energy Services Inc Griffith Energy and Main Energy Inc.
Ontario Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Ontario: 4 companies .
Average Number of Ontario Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 275831
Ontario Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 residences in Ontario heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ontario temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Ontario families rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Ontario County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Ontario County Households | Ontario County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
15 Ontario Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Ontario homes the last heating season, the Ontario community depends on its 15 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Ontario, 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 Ontario and the surrounding region.
