Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Mercer Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Mercer, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of households. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Mercer homeowners is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (5%), Propane (2%), Other (0.4%), and Solar (0.3%).
Mercer County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,660,049 | 70,826 | 639,424 | 176,394 | 10,565 | 13,035 | 14,439 |
| 2025 | 2,627,206 | 70,406 | 617,773 | 185,324 | 10,688 | 11,798 | 14,006 |
| 2024 | 2,623,428 | 66,233 | 592,186 | 198,050 | 10,223 | 10,926 | 13,381 |
| 2023 | 2,552,593 | 95,605 | 606,537 | 215,314 | 10,749 | 9,388 | 20,755 |
| 2022 | 2,560,329 | 89,511 | 568,299 | 231,690 | 10,054 | 7,925 | 17,145 |
| 2021 | 2,545,038 | 87,258 | 555,363 | 240,765 | 9,820 | 7,643 | 19,506 |
| 2020 | 2,509,666 | 79,338 | 501,738 | 241,254 | 10,094 | 6,464 | 16,414 |
| 2019 | 2,474,295 | 71,419 | 448,114 | 241,742 | 10,368 | 5,284 | 13,323 |
| 2018 | 2,435,183 | 67,930 | 437,888 | 258,889 | 12,069 | 4,626 | 14,313 |
| 2017 | 2,425,008 | 62,490 | 415,119 | 271,265 | 11,994 | 4,801 | 12,938 |
| 2016 | 2,389,530 | 59,916 | 423,650 | 271,179 | 13,466 | 3,212 | 14,924 |
| 2015 | 2,398,744 | 61,082 | 385,792 | 299,222 | 14,398 | 1,781 | 12,721 |
| 2014 | 2,393,423 | 62,396 | 384,329 | 309,236 | 14,471 | 1,748 | 13,957 |
| 2013 | 2,354,824 | 60,943 | 388,226 | 329,733 | 17,421 | 1,270 | 10,710 |
| 2012 | 2,368,222 | 60,990 | 377,997 | 356,378 | 13,974 | 1,002 | 10,889 |
| 2011 | 2,342,608 | 58,315 | 360,855 | 376,568 | 11,869 | 332 | 7,917 |
| 2010 | 2,344,455 | 63,241 | 343,112 | 392,540 | 11,886 | 325 | 8,439 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Mercer
Oil has become less frequently used in Mercer. In the 7 years since 2018, the number of families using oil declined from 258,889 to 185,324, a 28% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Mercer
Between 2018 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 67,930 to 70,406, a 4% change. Comparing 2018 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel grew from 2,435,183 to 2,627,206, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Mercer
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are gaining popularity in Mercer. Since 2018, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 437,888 to 617,773, a 41% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Mercer
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. As it stands today, 11,798 homes in Mercer are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 155% gain from 2018, when 4,626 homes utilized active solar heating.
Mercer County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Mercer County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Mercer’s overall number two heating oil usage fluctuates from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating 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 Mercer was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Mercer County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Mercer County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Mercer households heating with number two heating oil, selecting which of the 12 heating oil companies that serve Mercer makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 13 “full-service” oil companies that serve Mercer. Full service companies such as PFO Heating & Air Conditioning or PFO Heating & Air Conditioning offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s 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: also referred to as “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in return for better 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 Mercer cash heating oil companies serving Mercer include Jacquar Fuel Oil Inc and K W Rastall Inc.
Mercer Heating Oil Company Statistics: Number two heating oil Companies Serving Mercer: 12 companies .
Average Number of Mercer Homes Served per Heating Oil company : 15444
Mercer Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 households in Mercer heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Mercer temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Mercer families are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Mercer County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Mercer County Households | Mercer County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
70 Mercer Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 169,797,916 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Mercer families last winter, the Mercer community depends on its 70 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 Mercer, two of the closest terminals are Sunoco in Linden, NJ and Sunoco in Linden, NJ. Then, the truck delivers the oil to residences and companies throughout Mercer and the surrounding vicinity.
