Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Elk Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Elk, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Elk homeowners 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%).
Elk 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 Elk
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Elk. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of households using oil decreased from 805,822 to 663,450, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Elk
Between 2016 and today, the number of houses 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 Elk
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Elk. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,133,797 to 1,447,260, a 28% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Elk
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. As it stands today, 7,204 homes in Elk are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 340% gain from 2016, when 1,639 homes utilized active solar heating.
Elk County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Elk County homeowners purchased a total of 180,681 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Elk’s overall oil consumption varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more fuel oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Elk was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Elk County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Elk County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Elk residences heating with oil, selecting which of the 1 heating oil companies that serve Elk makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are 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 Elk. Full service companies such as or offer households 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 oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 1 Elk cash heating oil companies serving Elk include Friday Gas & Oil Inc and .
Elk Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Elk: 1 companies .
Average Number of Elk Households Served per Heating Oil company : 663450
Elk Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 residences in Elk heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Elk temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Elk residences are reliant on heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Elk County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Elk County Households | Elk County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
1 Elk Number Two Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 507,486,889 gallons of heating oil delivered to Elk homeowners during this past winter, the Elk community looks to its 1 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Elk, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Elk and the surrounding vicinity.
