Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
10/31/2024 | $2.819 |
10/30/2024 | $2.819 |
10/29/2024 | $2.819 |
10/28/2024 | $2.819 |
10/27/2024 | $2.819 |
10/26/2024 | $2.819 |
10/25/2024 | $2.819 |
10/24/2024 | $2.819 |
10/23/2024 | $2.819 |
10/22/2024 | $2.819 |
10/21/2024 | $2.819 |
10/20/2024 | $2.819 |
10/19/2024 | $2.819 |
10/18/2024 | $2.819 |
10/17/2024 | $2.819 |
10/16/2024 | $2.819 |
10/15/2024 | $2.819 |
10/14/2024 | $2.819 |
10/13/2024 | $2.819 |
10/12/2024 | $2.819 |
10/11/2024 | $2.819 |
10/10/2024 | $2.819 |
10/09/2024 | $2.819 |
10/08/2024 | $2.819 |
10/07/2024 | $2.819 |
10/06/2024 | $2.719 |
10/05/2024 | $2.719 |
10/04/2024 | $2.719 |
10/03/2024 | $2.719 |
10/02/2024 | $2.619 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Columbia County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Columbia 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).
Columbia County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Columbia County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 2.6M | 51.75% |
Electricity | 1.2M | 24.46% |
Heating Oil | 786,449 | 15.08% |
Propane | 256,098 | 4.91% |
Wood | 122,435 | 2.35% |
Coal | 51,531 | 0.99% |
Other Fuels | 50,506 | 0.97% |
No Fuel | 33,356 | 0.64% |
Solar | 4,093 | 0.08% |
Natural gas (51.75)
Electricity (24.46)
Heating oil (15.08)
Propane (4.91)
Wood (2.35)
Coal (0.99)
Other fuels (0.97)
No fuel (0.64)
Solar (0.08)
Heating oil has become less popular in Columbia County. In the 9 years since 2013, the number of heating oil homes fell from 963,754 to 786,449, a 18.40% drop.
Columbia 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 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 185,329 to 256,098.
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,533,121 to 2,698,438.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Columbia County. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,025,696 to 1,275,546, a 24.36% 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 Columbia County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 222.28% increase from 2013, when only 1,270 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Columbia County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Columbia 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 Columbia County, the average outside temperature was 11.9° F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Columbia County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 36.7° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 48.6° F |
For Columbia County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 8 heating oil companies that serve Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County include Jack Rich Inc and Millers Gas & Oil Service Inc.
Columbia County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Columbia County: 8 companies
Average Number Of Columbia County Homes Served Per Company: 276 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Columbia County Oil Company: 178,422 gallons per year
Approximately 2,212 households in Columbia County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Columbia County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
42% of Columbia County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Columbia County Households | Columbia County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
5,188 | 2,212 |
18 Columbia County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 1 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Columbia County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Columbia County community relies on its 18 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 Columbia County, two of the closest terminals are Spmt in Northumberland, PA and Lucknow in Northumberland, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Columbia County.