Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Tioga Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Tioga, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Tioga families 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%).
Tioga 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 Tioga
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Tioga. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil dipped from 1,496,843 to 1,103,323, a 26% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Tioga
Between 2017 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 grew from 4,339,349 to 4,725,574, a 9% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Tioga
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Tioga. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 867,925 to 1,365,710, a 57% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Tioga
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Today, 16,434 homes in Tioga are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 174% gain from 2017, when 5,988 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Tioga County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Tioga County homeowners purchased a total of 912,252 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Tioga’s overall oil consumption fluctuates from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Tioga was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Tioga County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Tioga County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Tioga households heating with oil, choosing which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Tioga can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 4 “full-service” oil companies that serve Tioga. Full service companies such as Scott Smith & Son Inc or Scott Smith & Son Inc offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 0 Tioga cash heating oil companies serving Tioga include and .
Tioga Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Tioga: 3 companies .
Average Number of Tioga Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 367774
Tioga Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 households in Tioga heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Tioga temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Tioga residences depend on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Tioga County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Tioga County Households | Tioga County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
4 Tioga Number Two Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of oil delivered to Tioga houses during this past winter, the Tioga community looks to its 4 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Tioga, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Tioga and the surrounding vicinity.
