Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Wayne 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 Wayne, used by 4,725,574 or 61% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Wayne households 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
Oil has become less frequently used in Wayne. In the 2 years since 2023, the number of families using heating oil fell from 1,212,850 to 1,103,323, a 9% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Wayne
Between 2023 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel dipped from 402,335 to 377,922, a 6% change. Comparing 2023 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 4,581,041 to 4,725,574, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Wayne
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Wayne. Since 2023, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 1,263,700 to 1,365,710, a 8% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Wayne
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. Now, 16,434 homes in Wayne are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 47% gain from 2023, when 11,208 homes used 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 fuel oil usage changes annually depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. 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 families heating with oil, selecting which of the 5 heating oil companies that serve Wayne plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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 customers who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating 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 Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Wayne: 5 companies .
Average Number of Wayne Homes Served per 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 are reliant on 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 Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 664,748,714 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Wayne households last winter, the Wayne community looks to its 15 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Wayne and the surrounding vicinity.
