Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Bucks Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Bucks, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Bucks families is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Bucks County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. 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 Bucks
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Bucks. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using fuel oil fell from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Bucks
Between 2020 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 251,472 to 282,182, a 12% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Bucks
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Bucks. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Bucks
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. As it stands today, 7,204 homes in Bucks are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 homes utilized active solar heating.
Bucks County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Bucks County homeowners purchased a total of 40 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Bucks’s overall oil usage changes each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ heating systems 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 Bucks was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Bucks County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Bucks County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Bucks families heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 68 heating oil companies that serve Bucks makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 272 “full-service” oil companies that serve Bucks. Full service companies such as IT Landes or InterCounty Oil Services Inc offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients 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 Bucks cash heating oil companies serving Bucks include Ace Fueling Llc and Blaze Oil Corporation.
Bucks Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Bucks: 68 companies .
Average Number of Bucks Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 9757
Bucks Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 homes in Bucks heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Bucks temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Bucks residences are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Bucks County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Bucks County Households | Bucks County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
1133 Bucks Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Bucks households the last heating season, the Bucks community looks to its 1133 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Bucks, 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 Bucks and the surrounding area.