Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
12/10/2024 | $3.064 |
12/09/2024 | $3.064 |
12/06/2024 | $3.072 |
12/05/2024 | $3.051 |
12/04/2024 | $3.040 |
12/03/2024 | $3.022 |
12/02/2024 | $2.985 |
11/29/2024 | $2.984 |
11/28/2024 | $2.986 |
11/27/2024 | $3.020 |
11/26/2024 | $3.019 |
11/25/2024 | $3.062 |
11/22/2024 | $3.000 |
11/21/2024 | $3.021 |
11/20/2024 | $3.018 |
11/19/2024 | $3.013 |
11/18/2024 | $3.031 |
11/15/2024 | $2.969 |
11/14/2024 | $3.016 |
11/13/2024 | $3.043 |
11/12/2024 | $3.044 |
11/11/2024 | $3.024 |
11/08/2024 | $3.008 |
11/07/2024 | $3.008 |
11/06/2024 | $3.008 |
11/05/2024 | $3.008 |
11/04/2024 | $3.008 |
11/01/2024 | $3.008 |
10/31/2024 | $3.008 |
10/30/2024 | $3.006 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Mercer County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Mercer 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).
Mercer County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Mercer County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 2.6M | 51.8% |
Electricity | 1.2M | 24.5% |
Heating Oil | 786,449 | 15.1% |
Propane | 256,098 | 4.9% |
Wood | 122,435 | 2.4% |
Coal | 51,531 | 1.0% |
Other Fuels | 50,506 | 1.0% |
No Fuel | 33,356 | 0.6% |
Solar | 4,093 | 0.1% |
Natural gas (51.8%)
Electricity (24.5%)
Heating oil (15.1%)
Propane (4.9%)
Wood (2.4%)
Coal (1.0%)
Other fuels (1.0%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Solar (0.1%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Mercer County. In the 8 years since 2014, the number of heating oil homes fell from 930,735 to 786,449, a 15.50% drop.
Mercer 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 2014 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 189,112 to 256,098.
Between 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,529,063 to 2,698,438.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Mercer County. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,050,178 to 1,275,546, a 21.46% 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 Mercer County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 221.78% increase from 2014, when only 1,272 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Mercer County homeowners purchased a total of 348,456 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Mercer 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 Mercer County, the average outside temperature was 1.9° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Mercer County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 36.3° F |
For Mercer County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 4 heating oil companies that serve Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer County include Heath Oil Inc and Klasen Mcquiston Energy Corporation.
Mercer County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Mercer County: 4 companies
Average Number Of Mercer County Homes Served Per Company: 135 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Mercer County Oil Company: 87,114 gallons per year
Approximately 540 households in Mercer County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Mercer County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
13% of Mercer County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Mercer County Households | Mercer County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
4,051 | 540 |
10 Mercer County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 348,456 gallons of heating oil delivered to Mercer County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Mercer County community relies on its 10 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 Mercer County, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Mercer County.