Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Philadelphia Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Philadelphia, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of residents. 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 (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
Fuel oil has become less popular in Philadelphia. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of homeowners using number two heating oil fell from 806,761 to 663,450, a 18% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Philadelphia
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up from 225,476 to 282,182, a 25% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,592,386 to 2,796,352, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Philadelphia
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Philadelphia. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 1,198,450 to 1,447,260, a 21% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Philadelphia
Out of all fuels, solar is the safest for the environment. 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. As it stands today, 7,204 homes in Philadelphia are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 228% gain from 2018, when 2,197 homes had 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 oil consumption varies each year based on the severity of the winter. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, homes’ furnaces need to burn increasing amounts of fuel 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 residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Philadelphia can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer 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 households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners 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 the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 2 Philadelphia cash heating oil companies serving Philadelphia include Ace Fueling Llc and Blaze Oil Corporation.
Philadelphia Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Philadelphia: 40 companies .
Average Number of Philadelphia Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 16586
Philadelphia Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 houses 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. 12.3% of Philadelphia households depend on number two heating 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 Bank On
With 507,486,889 gallons of heating oil delivered to Philadelphia houses last winter, the Philadelphia community depends 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 number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
