Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Wayne Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Wayne, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Wayne families 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%).
Wayne 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 Wayne
Fuel oil has become less popular in Wayne. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using number two heating oil declined from 1,343,665 to 1,103,323, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Wayne
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 353,944 to 377,922, a 7% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 4,504,504 to 4,725,574, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Wayne
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Wayne. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 1,014,730 to 1,365,710, a 35% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Wayne
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Currently, 16,434 homes in Wayne are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 87% gain from 2020, when 8,778 homes utilized active solar heating.
Wayne County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Wayne County homeowners purchased a total of 474,197 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Wayne’s overall oil usage varies from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Wayne was 28.1°F, which was 5.4°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Wayne County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 28.1° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 33.5° F |
Wayne County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Wayne homes heating with fuel oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Wayne is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Wayne. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. A few of the 2 Wayne cash heating oil companies serving Wayne include Superior Plus Energy Services Inc Griffith Energy and Main Energy Inc.
Wayne Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Wayne: 5 companies .
Average Number of Wayne Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 220665
Wayne Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 houses in Wayne heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Wayne temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Wayne households rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
7% of Wayne County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Wayne County Households | Wayne County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 15.6M | 1.1M |
15 Wayne Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Wayne houses during this past winter, the Wayne 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 Wayne, two of the closest terminals are Sprague in Bridgeport, CT and N.h.term in New Haven, CT. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Wayne and the surrounding vicinity.
