Cheapest Columbia County Heating Oil Price History
Updated Today at 09:17 AM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 02/22/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/21/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/20/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/19/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/18/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/17/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/16/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/15/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/14/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/13/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/12/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/11/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/10/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/09/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/08/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/07/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/06/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/05/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/04/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/03/2026 | $3.449 |
| 02/02/2026 | $3.349 |
| 02/01/2026 | $3.299 |
| 01/31/2026 | $3.299 |
| 01/30/2026 | $3.299 |
| 01/29/2026 | $3.299 |
| 01/28/2026 | $3.249 |
| 01/27/2026 | $3.049 |
| 01/26/2026 | $3.049 |
| 01/25/2026 | $3.049 |
| 01/24/2026 | $3.049 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Columbia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families 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 families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Columbia 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%).
Columbia 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 Columbia
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Columbia. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using oil decreased 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 households using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased 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 shot up 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 jumped 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. Today, 7,204 homes in Columbia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 70% gain from 2019, when 4,241 homes used 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 use changes annually as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional 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 homeowners heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Columbia is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford 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 fuel oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for families 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Columbia cash heating oil companies serving Columbia include Jack Rich Inc and Millers Gas & Oil Service Inc.
Columbia Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Columbia: 8 companies .
Average Number of Columbia Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 82931
Columbia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 residences 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% of Columbia residences are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.15% 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 Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 507,486,888.761 gallons of oil delivered to Columbia families last winter, the Columbia community depends on its 18 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Columbia, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Columbia and the surrounding vicinity.
