Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ontario Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Ontario, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Ontario homeowners 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 (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 Ontario
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Ontario. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of residents using number two heating oil declined 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 houses 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 rose 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 more popular in Ontario. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity shot 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 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 Ontario are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 151% gain from 2016, when 6,535 homes had 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 heating oil usage changes from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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, picking which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Ontario 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 pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ontario. Full service companies such as or 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 oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client 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 budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Some of the 2 Ontario cash heating oil companies serving Ontario include Superior Plus Energy Services Inc Griffith Energy and Main Energy Inc.
Ontario Fuel Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Ontario: 4 companies .
Average Number of Ontario Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 275831
Ontario Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Ontario heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ontario temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Ontario houses are reliant on fuel 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 Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Ontario houses during this past winter, the Ontario community relies 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 oil to residences and companies throughout Ontario and the surrounding vicinity.
