Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Columbia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Columbia, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Columbia households 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%).
Columbia 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 Columbia
Heating oil has become less popular in Columbia. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using oil declined from 792,365 to 663,450, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Columbia
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 235,490 to 282,182, a 20% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,634,591 to 2,796,352, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Columbia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Columbia. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,222,377 to 1,447,260, a 18% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Columbia
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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 Columbia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 70% gain from 2019, when 4,241 homes utilized active solar heating.
Columbia County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Columbia County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Columbia’s overall number two heating oil consumption varies yearly primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Columbia was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Columbia County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Columbia County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Columbia residences heating with oil, picking which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Columbia makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Columbia. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system 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 household 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Examples of 2 Columbia cash heating oil companies serving Columbia include Jack Rich Inc and Millers Gas & Oil Service Inc.
Columbia Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Columbia: 8 companies .
Average Number of Columbia Households Served per Heating Oil company : 82931
Columbia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 families in Columbia heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Columbia temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Columbia residences are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Columbia County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Columbia County Households | Columbia County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
18 Columbia Heating Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 507,486,889 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Columbia homeowners the last heating season, the Columbia community depends on its 18 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 Columbia, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Columbia and the surrounding vicinity.
