Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
12/21/2024 | $2.849 |
12/20/2024 | $2.849 |
12/19/2024 | $2.849 |
12/18/2024 | $2.849 |
12/17/2024 | $2.849 |
12/16/2024 | $2.849 |
12/15/2024 | $2.849 |
12/14/2024 | $2.849 |
12/13/2024 | $2.849 |
12/12/2024 | $2.849 |
12/11/2024 | $2.849 |
12/10/2024 | $2.849 |
12/09/2024 | $2.849 |
12/08/2024 | $2.849 |
12/07/2024 | $2.849 |
12/06/2024 | $2.849 |
12/05/2024 | $2.849 |
12/04/2024 | $2.849 |
12/03/2024 | $2.849 |
12/02/2024 | $2.863 |
12/01/2024 | $2.863 |
11/30/2024 | $2.863 |
11/29/2024 | $2.863 |
11/28/2024 | $2.863 |
11/27/2024 | $3.118 |
11/26/2024 | $3.118 |
11/25/2024 | $3.118 |
11/24/2024 | $2.799 |
11/23/2024 | $2.799 |
11/22/2024 | $2.799 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Centre County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Centre County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,275,546 homes (24.46%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (786,449), propane (256,098), wood (122,435), and other fuels (139,486).
Centre County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Centre County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 2.6M | 51.8% |
Electricity | 1.2M | 24.5% |
Heating Oil | 786,449 | 15.1% |
Propane | 256,098 | 4.9% |
Wood | 122,435 | 2.4% |
Coal | 51,531 | 1.0% |
Other Fuels | 50,506 | 1.0% |
No Fuel | 33,356 | 0.6% |
Solar | 4,093 | 0.1% |
Natural gas (51.8%)
Electricity (24.5%)
Heating oil (15.1%)
Propane (4.9%)
Wood (2.4%)
Coal (1.0%)
Other fuels (1.0%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Solar (0.1%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Centre County. In the 4 years since 2018, the number of heating oil homes fell from 828,104 to 786,449, a 5.03% drop.
Centre County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 1.0M |
2012 | 1.0M |
2013 | 963,754 |
2014 | 930,735 |
2015 | 899,276 |
2016 | 864,952 |
2017 | 843,020 |
2018 | 828,104 |
2019 | 814,213 |
2020 | 811,086 |
2021 | 790,823 |
2022 | 786,449 |
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 214,804 to 256,098.
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,582,392 to 2,698,438.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Centre County. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,142,039 to 1,275,546, a 11.69% increase.
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, 4,093 homes in Centre County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 109.15% increase from 2018, when only 1,957 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Centre County homeowners purchased a total of 7 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Centre County’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Centre County, the average outside temperature was 3.1° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Centre County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
2024 - 2025 | 37.7° F |
2023 - 2024 | 34.6° F |
For Centre County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Centre County is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Centre County. Full service companies such as undefined or undefined offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Centre County homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Centre County include C S Myers & Son Inc and Nittany Oil Company Inc.
Centre County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Centre County: 8 companies
Average Number Of Centre County Homes Served Per Company: 1,405 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Centre County Oil Company: 906,792 gallons per year
Approximately 11,242 households in Centre County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Centre County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
21% of Centre County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Centre County Households | Centre County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
52,483 | 11,242 |
70 Centre County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 7 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Centre County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Centre County community relies on its 70 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Centre County, two of the closest terminals are Etmt in Altoona, PA and Lucknow in El Dorado, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Centre County.