Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Monroe Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homeowners have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Monroe, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of residents. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Monroe residents is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Monroe 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 Monroe
Heating oil has become losing popularity in Monroe. In the 11 years since 2014, the number of households using heating oil dropped from 858,758 to 663,450, a 23% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Monroe
Between 2014 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel increased from 198,296 to 282,182, a 42% change. Comparing 2014 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel ramped up from 2,528,694 to 2,796,352, a 11% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Monroe
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are increasing in demand in Monroe. Since 2014, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,087,741 to 1,447,260, a 33% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Monroe
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. Now, 7,204 homes in Monroe are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 309% gain from 2014, when 1,760 homes incorporated active solar heating.
Monroe County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Monroe County homeowners purchased a total of 6 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Monroe’s overall fuel oil use varies from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Monroe was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Monroe County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Monroe County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Monroe households heating with heating oil, selecting which of the 11 heating oil companies that serve Monroe is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who prefer a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 11 “full-service” oil companies that serve Monroe. Full service companies such as DeSousa Oil & Service Corp or Keller Enterprises Inc offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and HVAC 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 homeowner 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 on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Monroe cash heating oil companies serving Monroe include Liberty Oil & Propane Inc and Pennywise Fuel Inc.
Monroe Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Monroe: 11 companies .
Average Number of Monroe Houses Served per Fuel Oil company : 60314
Monroe Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 households in Monroe heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Monroe temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Monroe residences rely on heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Monroe County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Monroe County Households | Monroe County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
67 Monroe Oil Companies You Can Bank On
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Monroe families the last heating season, the Monroe community depends on its 67 oil companies when temperatures dip. 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 Monroe, 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 Monroe and the surrounding vicinity.