Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Somerset Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Somerset, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Somerset residents is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Somerset 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 Somerset
Number two heating oil has become less popular in Somerset. In the 10 years since 2015, the number of households using number two heating oil dropped from 837,082 to 663,450, a 21% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Somerset
Between 2015 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 200,754 to 282,182, a 41% change. Comparing 2015 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,549,385 to 2,796,352, a 10% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Somerset
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Somerset. Since 2015, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 1,103,995 to 1,447,260, a 31% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Somerset
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 Somerset are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 240% gain from 2015, when 2,117 homes had active solar heating.
Somerset County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Somerset County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Somerset’s overall number two heating oil consumption varies from year to year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, 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 Somerset was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Somerset County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Somerset County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Somerset residences heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Somerset is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Somerset. Full service companies such as or 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 client 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the fuel 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 Somerset cash heating oil companies serving Somerset include Davidsville Fuel Inc and Luther P Miller Inc.
Somerset Heating Oil Company Statistics: Heating oil Companies Serving Somerset: 2 companies .
Average Number of Somerset Households Served per Heating Oil company : 331725
Somerset Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 houses in Somerset heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Somerset temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Somerset residences are reliant on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Somerset County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Somerset County Households | Somerset County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
4 Somerset Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Somerset residences during this past winter, the Somerset community looks to its 4 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 Somerset, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Somerset and the surrounding region.
