Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Clearfield Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Clearfield, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Clearfield residents is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Clearfield 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 Clearfield
Oil has become less frequently used in Clearfield. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of households using number two heating oil dropped from 805,822 to 663,450, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Clearfield
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 209,719 to 282,182, a 35% change. Comparing 2016 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,551,248 to 2,796,352, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Clearfield
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Clearfield. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,133,797 to 1,447,260, a 28% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Clearfield
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 Clearfield are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 340% gain from 2016, when 1,639 homes had active solar heating.
Clearfield County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Clearfield County homeowners purchased a total of 4 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Clearfield’s overall oil usage changes from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Clearfield was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Clearfield County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Clearfield County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Clearfield families heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Clearfield can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Clearfield. Full service companies such as or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic fuel 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better 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 Clearfield cash heating oil companies serving Clearfield include Jacobs Oil Co Inc and Jj Powell Inc.
Clearfield Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Clearfield: 8 companies .
Average Number of Clearfield Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 82931
Clearfield Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 families in Clearfield heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Clearfield temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Clearfield residences rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Clearfield County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Clearfield County Households | Clearfield County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
107 Clearfield Fuel Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 507,486,889 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Clearfield families during this past winter, the Clearfield community relies on its 107 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Clearfield, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to homes and businesses throughout Clearfield and the surrounding area.