Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Lehigh Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a host of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Lehigh, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Lehigh 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%).
Lehigh 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 Lehigh
Fuel oil has become less popular in Lehigh. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using number two heating oil dipped from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Lehigh
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 251,472 to 282,182, a 12% change. Comparing 2020 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Lehigh
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Lehigh. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Lehigh
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. 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. As it stands today, 7,204 homes in Lehigh are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 homes used active solar heating.
Lehigh County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Lehigh County homeowners purchased a total of 22 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Lehigh’s overall number two heating oil use fluctuates yearly correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn additional heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Lehigh was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Lehigh County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Lehigh County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Lehigh homeowners heating with oil, choosing which of the 39 heating oil companies that serve Lehigh makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 118 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lehigh. Full service companies such as Wisser Coal & Fuel Oil or DeSousa Oil & Service Corp offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating 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: also referred to as “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 number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 2 Lehigh cash heating oil companies serving Lehigh include Tirpak Energy and Liberty Oil & Propane.
Lehigh Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Lehigh: 39 companies .
Average Number of Lehigh Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 17012
Lehigh Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 households in Lehigh heat their homes with oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Lehigh temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Lehigh residences depend on heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Lehigh County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Lehigh County Households | Lehigh County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
576 Lehigh Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Lehigh homes last winter, the Lehigh community depends on its 576 oil companies when temperatures dip. Oil delivery has two parts to it: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Lehigh, 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 Lehigh and the surrounding region.
