Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Ocean Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Families have a host of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Ocean, used by 2,627,206 or 74% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Ocean residents is Electricity, used by 617,773 homes (17%). The other homes are heated with Heating Oil (5%), Propane (2%), Other (0.4%), and Solar (0.3%).
Ocean 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 Ocean
Number two heating oil has become less frequently used in Ocean. In the 6 years since 2019, the number of families using oil fell from 241,742 to 185,324, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Ocean
Between 2019 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel decreased from 71,419 to 70,406, a 1% change. Comparing 2019 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 2,474,295 to 2,627,206, a 6% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Ocean
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Ocean. Since 2019, the number of homes heating with electricity jumped from 448,114 to 617,773, a 38% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Ocean
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. Now, 11,798 homes in Ocean are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 123% gain from 2019, when 5,284 homes used active solar heating.
Ocean County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Ocean County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Ocean’s overall number two heating oil consumption changes annually primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional heating oil to maintain the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Ocean was 33.5°F, which was 4.7°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Ocean County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 33.5° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 38.2° F |
Ocean County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Ocean residences heating with fuel oil, choosing which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Ocean is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Ocean. Full service companies such as or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s heating 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: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for customers who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the fuel oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. Examples of 0 Ocean cash heating oil companies serving Ocean include Inc and .
Ocean Fuel Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Ocean: 0 companies .
Average Number of Ocean Homes Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 185324
Ocean Heating Oil Delivery Overview
185,324 houses in Ocean heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Ocean temperatures drop as low as 28.8° F each winter. 5.2% of Ocean residences depend on fuel oil delivery each winter.
2.6% of Ocean County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Ocean County Households | Ocean County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 7.1M | 185,324 |
0 Ocean Fuel Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 169,797,916 gallons of heating oil delivered to Ocean households during this past winter, the Ocean community looks to its 0 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Ocean, 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 Ocean and the surrounding vicinity.
