Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Queens Home Heating Fuel Comparison

Families have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Queens, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Queens homeowners 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%).

Queens 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 Queens

Fuel oil has become less popular in Queens. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of residents using fuel oil fell from 1,496,843 to 1,103,323, a 26% drop.

Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Queens

Between 2017 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 294,973 to 377,922, a 28% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 4,339,349 to 4,725,574, a 9% change.

Electricity use for home heating in Queens

Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Queens. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 867,925 to 1,365,710, a 57% change.

Adoption of solar home heating systems in Queens

Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. As it stands today, 16,434 homes in Queens are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 homes had active solar heating.

Queens County Heating Oil Trends

Last year, Queens County homeowners purchased a total of 46 million gallons of heating oil.

Short Term Trends

Queens’s overall heating oil usage fluctuates annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ boilers need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Queens was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.

Queens County Average Winter Temperature

Heating Season	Average Temperature
2024 - 2025	28.1° F
2023 - 2024	33.5° F

Queens County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company

For Queens households heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 236 heating oil companies that serve Queens makes a big difference.

Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 1889 “full-service” oil companies that serve Queens. Full service companies such as Plitnick Home Fuel & Service Co LLC or Nrg Heat & Power LLC offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 customers 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 2 Queens cash heating oil companies serving Queens include Ronco Oil Inc and TDR Heating Corp.

Queens Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Queens: 236 companies .
Average Number of Queens Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 4675

Queens Heating Oil Delivery Overview

1,103,323 families in Queens heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Queens temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Queens families are reliant on oil delivery each winter.

7% of Queens County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter

Queens County Households	Queens County Heating Oil Households
15.6M	1.1M

3927 Queens Number Two Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community

With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Queens homeowners during this past winter, the Queens community depends on its 3927 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Queens, 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 Queens and the surrounding vicinity.