Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Philadelphia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Philadelphia, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. 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
Heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Philadelphia. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of families using heating oil fell from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Philadelphia
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 jumped from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Philadelphia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Philadelphia. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% 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. Now, 7,204 homes in Philadelphia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 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 fluctuates from year to year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to keep the house warm inside. 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 families heating with fuel oil, picking which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Philadelphia 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 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 furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The family 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 customers who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the 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 Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Philadelphia: 40 companies .
Average Number of Philadelphia Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 16586
Philadelphia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 families in Philadelphia heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Philadelphia temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Philadelphia families are reliant 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 You Can Trust
With 507,486,889 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Philadelphia families during this past winter, the Philadelphia community relies on its 40 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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.
