Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Onondaga County Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Onondaga County, used by 3,119,786 or 64.85% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Onondaga County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,213,218 homes (25.22%). The remaining homes are heated with propane (272,855), heating oil (100,023), wood (81,253), and other fuels (43,475).
Onondaga County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
| Fuel | Onondaga County Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | 3.1M | 64.9% |
| Electricity | 1.2M | 25.2% |
| Propane | 272,855 | 5.7% |
| Heating Oil | 100,023 | 2.1% |
| Wood | 81,253 | 1.7% |
| Other Fuels | 43,475 | 0.9% |
| No Fuel | 27,402 | 0.6% |
| Coal | 3,017 | 0.1% |
| Solar | 1,131 | 0.0% |
Natural gas (64.9%)
Electricity (25.2%)
Propane (5.7%)
Heating oil (2.1%)
Wood (1.7%)
Other fuels (0.9%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Coal (0.1%)
Solar (0.0%)
#2 Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Onondaga County
Heating oil has become less popular in Onondaga County. In the 6 years since 2016, the number of heating oil homes fell from 107,419 to 100,023, a 6.89% drop.
Onondaga County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
| Year | Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 141,038 |
| 2012 | 132,252 |
| 2013 | 125,428 |
| 2014 | 119,022 |
| 2015 | 113,013 |
| 2016 | 107,419 |
| 2017 | 104,197 |
| 2018 | 101,487 |
| 2019 | 99,323 |
| 2020 | 95,712 |
| 2021 | 92,977 |
| 2022 | 100,023 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Onondaga County
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 239,585 to 272,855.
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 3,047,926 to 3,119,786.
Electricity use for home heating in Onondaga County
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Onondaga County. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,057,081 to 1,213,218, a 14.77% increase.
Solar use for home heating in Onondaga County
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.
Currently, 1,131 homes in Onondaga County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 12.65% increase from 2016, when only 1,004 homes had installed active solar heating.
