Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Northampton Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Households have a variety of fuels to choose from when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the preferred choice in Northampton, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Northampton 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%).
Northampton 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 Northampton
Heating oil has become less popular in Northampton. In the 5 years since 2020, the number of residents using number two heating oil dropped from 776,616 to 663,450, a 15% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Northampton
Between 2020 and today, the number of houses using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose 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 ramped up from 2,656,062 to 2,796,352, a 5% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Northampton
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Northampton. Since 2020, the number of homes heating with electricity grew from 1,254,850 to 1,447,260, a 15% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Northampton
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 Northampton are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 58% gain from 2020, when 4,554 homes used active solar heating.
Northampton County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Northampton County homeowners purchased a total of 20 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Northampton’s overall fuel oil consumption varies each year as winter conditions change. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more fuel oil to maintain a constant interior temperature. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Northampton was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Northampton County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Northampton County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Northampton homeowners heating with number two heating oil, choosing which of the 0 heating oil companies that serve Northampton can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who are willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 0 “full-service” oil companies that serve Northampton. Full service companies such as or offer clients annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and boiler repair. With an automatic fuel oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel 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 households who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in return for better prices, you monitor the heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 0 Northampton cash heating oil companies serving Northampton include Inc and .
Northampton Number Two Heating Oil Company Statistics: Oil Companies Serving Northampton: 0 companies .
Average Number of Northampton Households Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 663450
Northampton Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 houses in Northampton heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Northampton temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Northampton houses rely on number two heating oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Northampton County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Northampton County Households | Northampton County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
0 Northampton Number Two Heating Oil Companies You Can Trust
With 507,486,889 gallons of oil delivered to Northampton homes the last heating season, the Northampton community looks to its 0 oil companies to keep warm throughout the winter. 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 Northampton, 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 Northampton and the surrounding vicinity.