Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Philadelphia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Philadelphia, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of households. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Philadelphia households is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The remaining homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia
Oil has become less popular in Philadelphia. In the 9 years since 2016, the number of residents using oil dipped from 805,822 to 663,450, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Philadelphia
Between 2016 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 Philadelphia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Philadelphia. Since 2016, the number of homes heating with electricity shot up from 1,133,797 to 1,447,260, a 28% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Philadelphia
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. Currently, 7,204 homes in Philadelphia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 340% gain from 2016, when 1,639 homes used 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 heating oil consumption fluctuates each year correlating with how cold it gets each winter. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn additional number two heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. 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 residences heating with oil, selecting which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Philadelphia makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 15 “full-service” oil companies that serve Philadelphia. Full service companies such as IT Landes or InterCounty Oil Services Inc offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The homeowner 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 clients who are looking to save money. 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 when you're running low. A few of the 2 Philadelphia cash heating oil companies serving Philadelphia include Ace Fueling Llc and Blaze Oil Corporation.
Philadelphia Fuel Oil Company Fast Facts: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Philadelphia: 40 companies .
Average Number of Philadelphia Homes Served per Fuel Oil company : 16586
Philadelphia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 households in Philadelphia heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Philadelphia temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Philadelphia homes depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.1% 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 Number Two Heating Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Philadelphia homes last winter, the Philadelphia community depends on its 40 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 Philadelphia, 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 Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
