Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Franklin Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Franklin, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Franklin residents is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Franklin 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 Franklin
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Franklin. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of homeowners using heating oil declined from 790,353 to 663,450, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Franklin
Between 2017 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 222,650 to 282,182, a 27% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,598,275 to 2,796,352, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Franklin
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Franklin. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,158,937 to 1,447,260, a 25% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Franklin
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid flows between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Currently, 7,204 homes in Franklin are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 224% gain from 2017, when 2,225 homes used active solar heating.
Franklin County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Franklin County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Franklin’s overall fuel oil usage changes from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ boilers need to burn additional heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Franklin was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Franklin County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Franklin County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Franklin families heating with oil, choosing which of the 3 heating oil companies that serve Franklin can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Franklin. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating 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 households who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating 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 Franklin cash heating oil companies serving Franklin include JCM Energy Plus LLC and Penn Mar Oil Co Inc.
Franklin Oil Company By The Numbers: Fuel oil Companies Serving Franklin: 3 companies .
Average Number of Franklin Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 221150
Franklin Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 homes in Franklin heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Franklin temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Franklin households are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Franklin County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Franklin County Households | Franklin County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
13 Franklin Heating Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Franklin families the last heating season, the Franklin community depends on its 13 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 Franklin, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Franklin and the surrounding area.
