Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Lancaster Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a choice of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Lancaster, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Lancaster residents 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%).
Lancaster 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 Lancaster
Oil has become less frequently used in Lancaster. In the 12 years since 2013, the number of homeowners using oil dropped from 870,064 to 663,450, a 24% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Lancaster
Between 2013 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 195,799 to 282,182, a 44% change. Comparing 2013 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 2,516,052 to 2,796,352, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Lancaster
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Lancaster. Since 2013, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 1,086,074 to 1,447,260, a 33% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Lancaster
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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, 7,204 homes in Lancaster are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 412% gain from 2013, when 1,408 homes had active solar heating.
Lancaster County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Lancaster County homeowners purchased a total of 24 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Lancaster’s overall heating oil use varies each year depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ HVAC systems need to burn increasing amounts of oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Lancaster was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Lancaster County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Lancaster County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Lancaster residences heating with oil, picking which of the 30 heating oil companies that serve Lancaster can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 126 “full-service” oil companies that serve Lancaster. Full service companies such as Aero Energy or Suburban Propane offer homeowners annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC repair. With an automatic 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 homeowners who are budget-conscious. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. A few of the 2 Lancaster cash heating oil companies serving Lancaster include Talley Petroleum Enterprises Inc Inc and Peggy's Fuel Oil.
Lancaster Number Two Heating Oil Company Fast Facts: Heating oil Companies Serving Lancaster: 30 companies .
Average Number of Lancaster Households Served per Heating Oil company : 22115
Lancaster Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 residences in Lancaster heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Lancaster temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Lancaster households rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Lancaster County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Lancaster County Households | Lancaster County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
526 Lancaster Number Two Heating Oil Companies Go The Distance
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Lancaster houses the last heating season, the Lancaster community depends on its 526 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 Lancaster, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the fuel oil to residences and companies throughout Lancaster and the surrounding region.
