Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Erie Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Erie, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Erie 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%).
Erie County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (No. of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,805,138 | 291,502 | 1,481,338 | 646,118 | 111,006 | 7,892 | 31,343 |
| 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 Erie
Heating oil has become less frequently used in Erie. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of households using oil declined from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Erie
Between 2020 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew 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 rose from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Erie
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Erie. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Erie
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, 7,204 homes in Erie are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Erie County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Erie County homeowners purchased a total of 1 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Erie’s overall heating oil use changes each year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers 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 Erie was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Erie County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Erie County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Erie families heating with number two heating oil, picking which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Erie plays a big role in determining how much money is spent on heating each winter.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Erie. 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 boiler repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The household 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 households who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when the oil gauge dips below a quarter tank. A few of the 0 Erie cash heating oil companies serving Erie include Inc and .
Erie Heating Oil Company Statistics: Fuel oil Companies Serving Erie: 0 companies .
Average Number of Erie Households Served per Fuel Oil company : 663450
Erie Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 families in Erie heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Erie temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Erie residences are reliant on fuel oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Erie County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Erie County Households | Erie County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
0 Erie Fuel Oil Companies Serving The Community
With 507,486,889 gallons of number two heating oil delivered to Erie houses last winter, the Erie community relies on its 0 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Erie, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to homes and businesses throughout Erie and the surrounding area.
