Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Blair Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Blair, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Blair families is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Blair County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,796,352 | 282,182 | 1,447,260 | 663,450 | 112,270 | 7,204 | 31,146 |
| 2024 | 2,785,913 | 276,598 | 1,396,275 | 685,083 | 111,416 | 6,155 | 32,085 |
| 2023 | 2,698,411 | 278,621 | 1,389,291 | 717,601 | 111,540 | 6,964 | 44,558 |
| 2022 | 2,710,114 | 282,625 | 1,337,240 | 742,118 | 105,147 | 5,282 | 41,959 |
| 2021 | 2,677,533 | 267,454 | 1,287,322 | 760,867 | 109,832 | 4,867 | 46,436 |
| 2020 | 2,656,062 | 251,472 | 1,254,850 | 776,616 | 113,900 | 4,554 | 41,326 |
| 2019 | 2,634,591 | 235,490 | 1,222,377 | 792,365 | 117,969 | 4,241 | 36,216 |
| 2018 | 2,592,386 | 225,476 | 1,198,450 | 806,761 | 128,110 | 2,197 | 35,172 |
| 2017 | 2,598,275 | 222,650 | 1,158,937 | 790,353 | 127,198 | 2,225 | 35,586 |
| 2016 | 2,551,248 | 209,719 | 1,133,797 | 805,822 | 125,583 | 1,639 | 34,565 |
| 2015 | 2,549,385 | 200,754 | 1,103,995 | 837,082 | 141,835 | 2,117 | 38,034 |
| 2014 | 2,528,694 | 198,296 | 1,087,741 | 858,758 | 148,256 | 1,760 | 36,886 |
| 2013 | 2,516,052 | 195,799 | 1,086,074 | 870,064 | 148,597 | 1,408 | 33,941 |
| 2012 | 2,530,063 | 188,880 | 1,046,982 | 936,674 | 145,089 | 1,484 | 31,494 |
| 2011 | 2,516,883 | 178,387 | 1,019,764 | 973,749 | 137,625 | 1,545 | 28,259 |
| 2010 | 2,530,446 | 177,562 | 997,925 | 993,832 | 126,074 | 597 | 29,423 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Blair
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Blair. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of residents using number two heating oil decreased from 790,353 to 663,450, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Blair
Between 2017 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 222,650 to 282,182, a 27% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,598,275 to 2,796,352, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Blair
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Blair. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,158,937 to 1,447,260, a 25% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Blair
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all 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 (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Today, 7,204 homes in Blair are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 224% gain from 2017, when 2,225 homes used active solar heating.
Blair County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Blair County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Blair’s overall number two heating oil use fluctuates annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ boilers need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Blair was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Blair County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Blair County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Blair households heating with heating oil, picking which of the 9 heating oil companies that serve Blair plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
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 Blair. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system 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 homeowner 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 families who are on a budget. 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Blair cash heating oil companies serving Blair include Jacobs Oil Co Inc and Jj Powell Inc.
Blair Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Blair: 9 companies .
Average Number of Blair Households Served per Heating Oil company : 73717
Blair Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 homes in Blair heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Blair temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Blair households depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Blair County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Blair County Households | Blair County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
55 Blair Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Blair homeowners last winter, the Blair community looks to its 55 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 Blair, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Blair and the surrounding area.