Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Wayne Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Wayne, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Wayne families 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%).
Wayne 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 Wayne
Heating oil has become less popular in Wayne. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using fuel oil dipped from 792,365 to 663,450, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Wayne
Between 2019 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 235,490 to 282,182, a 20% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,634,591 to 2,796,352, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Wayne
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Wayne. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,222,377 to 1,447,260, a 18% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Wayne
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 Wayne are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 70% gain from 2019, when 4,241 homes had active solar heating.
Wayne County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Wayne County homeowners purchased a total of 3 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Wayne’s overall oil consumption fluctuates each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside gets more chilly, 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 Wayne was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Wayne County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Wayne County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Wayne residences heating with oil, selecting which of the 11 heating oil companies that serve Wayne can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Wayne. Full service companies such as or offer customers annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic number two heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer 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 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 when you're running low. Examples of 2 Wayne cash heating oil companies serving Wayne include W V Tinklepaugh & Son Inc and B&S Oil.
Wayne Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Wayne: 11 companies .
Average Number of Wayne Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 60314
Wayne Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 houses in Wayne heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Wayne temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Wayne families depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Wayne County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Wayne County Households | Wayne County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
82 Wayne Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Wayne homes the last heating season, the Wayne community depends on its 82 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 Wayne, 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 Wayne and the surrounding region.
