Cheapest Philadelphia County Heating Oil Price History
Updated Today at 01:00 PM
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 02/19/2026 | $3.732 |
| 02/18/2026 | $3.732 |
| 02/17/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/16/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/15/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/14/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/13/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/12/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/11/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/10/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/09/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/08/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/07/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/06/2026 | $3.700 |
| 02/05/2026 | $3.650 |
| 02/04/2026 | $3.650 |
| 02/03/2026 | $3.650 |
| 02/02/2026 | $3.560 |
| 02/01/2026 | $3.559 |
| 01/31/2026 | $3.499 |
| 01/30/2026 | $3.499 |
| 01/29/2026 | $3.390 |
| 01/28/2026 | $3.390 |
| 01/27/2026 | $3.390 |
| 01/26/2026 | $3.090 |
| 01/25/2026 | $3.090 |
| 01/24/2026 | $3.090 |
| 01/23/2026 | $3.090 |
| 01/22/2026 | $3.090 |
| 01/21/2026 | $3.090 |
Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Philadelphia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Philadelphia, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Philadelphia residents 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%).
Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia
Oil has become less frequently used in Philadelphia. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of residents using heating oil dropped from 858,758 to 663,450, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Philadelphia
Between 2014 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 198,296 to 282,182, a 42% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,528,694 to 2,796,352, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Philadelphia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Philadelphia. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,087,741 to 1,447,260, a 33% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Philadelphia
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. Now, 7,204 homes in Philadelphia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 309% gain from 2014, when 1,760 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Philadelphia County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Philadelphia County homeowners purchased a total of 14 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Philadelphia’s overall fuel oil consumption varies each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn more and more number two heating oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Philadelphia was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Philadelphia County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Philadelphia County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Philadelphia homeowners heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Philadelphia can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who want a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 15 “full-service” oil companies that serve Philadelphia. Full service companies such as IT Landes or InterCounty Oil Services Inc offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for clients who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two 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 Philadelphia cash heating oil companies serving Philadelphia include Ace Fueling Llc and Blaze Oil Corporation.
Philadelphia Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Fuel oil Companies Serving Philadelphia: 40 companies .
Average Number of Philadelphia Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 16586
Philadelphia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 households in Philadelphia heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Philadelphia temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12% of Philadelphia houses rely on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.15% of Philadelphia County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Philadelphia County Households | Philadelphia County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
40 Philadelphia Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 507,486,888.761 gallons of oil delivered to Philadelphia households last winter, the Philadelphia community looks to its 40 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 Philadelphia, 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 throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
