Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Wayne Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Wayne, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Wayne residents 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%).
Wayne 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 Wayne
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Wayne. In the 1 years since 2024, the number of homeowners using fuel oil decreased from 1,143,783 to 1,103,323, a 4% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Wayne
Between 2024 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 370,910 to 377,922, a 2% change. Comparing 2024 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 4,679,558 to 4,725,574, a 1% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Wayne
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Wayne. Since 2024, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,292,868 to 1,365,710, a 6% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Wayne
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. Today, 16,434 homes in Wayne are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 8% gain from 2024, when 15,259 homes had 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 heating oil use changes from year to year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more heating 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 homeowners heating with oil, choosing which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Wayne can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Wayne. Full service companies such as or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. 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 Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Wayne: 5 companies .
Average Number of Wayne Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 220665
Wayne Heating Oil Delivery Overview
1,103,323 families in Wayne heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Wayne temperatures drop as low as 22.4° F each winter. 14.2% of Wayne houses depend on 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 Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Wayne houses last winter, the Wayne community relies on its 15 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery has two parts to it: 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 oil to residences and companies throughout Wayne and the surrounding area.
