Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Wayne Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most common choice in Wayne, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Wayne homeowners is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The other 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
Number two heating oil has become losing popularity in Wayne. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using oil fell from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Wayne
Between 2020 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel shot up 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 increased from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Wayne
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Wayne. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity ramped up from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% 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 flows 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 Wayne are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 homes utilized 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 fuel oil usage fluctuates yearly as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn increasing amounts of fuel 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 value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Wayne. Full service companies such as or offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic fuel oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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 homeowners who are looking to save money. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the 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 Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Wayne: 11 companies .
Average Number of Wayne Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 60314
Wayne Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 homes in Wayne heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Wayne temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Wayne residences depend on heating 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 Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Wayne homeowners during this past winter, the Wayne community relies on its 82 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Wayne, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the oil to homes and businesses throughout Wayne and the surrounding area.
