Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Butler Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Butler, used by 40,284,169 or 63% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Butler households is Electricity, used by 17,850,536 homes (28%). The remaining homes are heated with Propane (5%), Wood (2%), Heating Oil (1%), and Other (1%).
Butler County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Date | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40284169 | 3081795 | 17850536 | 774909 | 1083121 | 10860 | 403836 |
| 2024 | 38930705 | 3174414 | 16488724 | 892843 | 979276 | 17062 | 417066 |
| 2023 | 37590944 | 3255196 | 15199404 | 1008409 | 880848 | 22803 | 427844 |
| 2022 | 37151905 | 3221760 | 14587823 | 1065149 | 866531 | 20673 | 438560 |
| 2021 | 37128867 | 3134944 | 14211401 | 1100859 | 903769 | 15657 | 445157 |
| 2020 | 37003382 | 3083444 | 13869204 | 1132851 | 942478 | 13449 | 450995 |
| 2019 | 36840178 | 3020916 | 13561816 | 1172096 | 978933 | 11917 | 457127 |
| 2018 | 36767219 | 2943873 | 13286860 | 1206655 | 1014383 | 11247 | 453770 |
| 2017 | 36733211 | 2903335 | 13055094 | 1235021 | 1047439 | 11038 | 444277 |
| 2016 | 36623358 | 2883233 | 12814934 | 1270071 | 1069881 | 11466 | 436330 |
| 2015 | 36586577 | 2871736 | 12538674 | 1324701 | 1085024 | 12269 | 422257 |
| 2014 | 36648643 | 2877547 | 12236610 | 1394959 | 1100515 | 11920 | 402497 |
| 2013 | 36700523 | 2911451 | 11934916 | 1470260 | 1109606 | 11282 | 384399 |
| 2012 | 36842930 | 2965805 | 11629674 | 1548843 | 1094960 | 10751 | 370550 |
| 2011 | 37027467 | 3013572 | 11342268 | 1639364 | 1055619 | 10419 | 359450 |
| 2010 | 37193755 | 3071292 | 11063784 | 1752123 | 1007864 | 11729 | 360649 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Butler
Oil has become losing popularity in Butler. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil decreased from 1,394,959 to 774,909, a 44% drop.
Number of Households Using Heating Oil in Butler County
| Date | Households |
|---|---|
| 2025-11-11 | 61948 |
| 2025-11-10 | 61953 |
| 2025-11-09 | 61959 |
| 2025-11-08 | 61965 |
| 2025-11-07 | 62013 |
| 2025-11-06 | 62017 |
| 2025-11-05 | 62028 |
| 2025-11-04 | 62038 |
| 2025-11-03 | 62061 |
| 2025-11-02 | 62071 |
| 2025-11-01 | 62078 |
| 2025-10-31 | 62077 |
| 2025-10-30 | 62078 |
| 2025-10-29 | 62079 |
| 2025-10-28 | 62085 |
| 2025-10-27 | 62099 |
| 2025-10-26 | 62119 |
| 2025-10-25 | 62135 |
| 2025-10-24 | 62147 |
| 2025-10-23 | 62155 |
| 2025-10-22 | 62205 |
| 2025-10-21 | 62213 |
| 2025-10-20 | 62220 |
| 2025-10-19 | 62228 |
| 2025-10-18 | 62242 |
| 2025-10-17 | 62249 |
| 2025-10-16 | 62253 |
| 2025-10-15 | 62318 |
| 2025-10-14 | 62386 |
| 2025-10-13 | 62390 |
| 2025-10-12 | 62397 |
| 2025-10-11 | 62411 |
| 2025-10-10 | 62419 |
| 2025-10-09 | 62427 |
| 2025-10-08 | 62434 |
| 2025-10-07 | 62484 |
| 2025-10-06 | 62492 |
| 2025-10-05 | 62508 |
| 2025-10-04 | 62520 |
| 2025-10-03 | 62539 |
| 2025-10-02 | 62554 |
| 2025-10-01 | 62560 |
| 2025-09-30 | 62561 |
| 2025-09-29 | 62562 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Butler
Between 2014 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 2,877,547 to 3,081,795, a 7% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 36,648,643 to 40,284,169, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Butler
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Butler. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 12,236,610 to 17,850,536, a 46% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Butler
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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, 10,860 homes in Butler are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 9% drop from 2014, when 11,920 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Butler County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Butler County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Butler’s overall number two heating oil consumption changes from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Butler was 30.3°F, which was 0.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Butler County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 30.6° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 30.7° F |
Butler County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Butler homes heating with oil, picking which of the 6 heating oil companies that serve Butler plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 Butler. Full service companies such as or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and HVAC 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 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 homeowners who are looking to save money. 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. Some of the 2 Butler cash heating oil companies serving Butler include Wardway Fuels and Associated Home Services Inc.
Butler Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Butler: 6 companies . Average Number of Butler Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 4460
Butler Heating Oil Delivery Overview
211,698 families in Butler heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Butler temperatures drop as low as 30° F each winter. 1% of Butler houses rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
1.86% of Butler County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Butler County Households | Butler County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 1.5M | 29,665 |
26 Butler Fuel Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 63,347,966.682 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Butler homeowners last winter, the Butler community relies on its 26 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 Butler, two of the closest terminals are Citgo in Linden, NJ and Citgo in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Butler and the surrounding vicinity.
