Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Tioga Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Homes have a choice of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Tioga, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of homeowners. The next most popular primary heating fuel for Tioga homeowners 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%).
Tioga 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 Tioga
Fuel oil has become less popular in Tioga. In the 8 years since 2017, the number of households using heating oil decreased from 790,353 to 663,450, a 16% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Tioga
Between 2017 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel grew from 222,650 to 282,182, a 27% change. Comparing 2017 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel jumped from 2,598,275 to 2,796,352, a 8% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Tioga
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more prevalent in Tioga. Since 2017, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 1,158,937 to 1,447,260, a 25% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Tioga
The most eco-friendly heating option is solar. 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. As it stands today, 7,204 homes in Tioga are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 224% gain from 2017, when 2,225 homes had active solar heating.
Tioga County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Tioga County homeowners purchased a total of 84,533 gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Tioga’s overall fuel oil use changes from year to year primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside dips, homes’ boilers need to burn more and more heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Tioga was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Tioga County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Tioga County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Tioga families heating with oil, selecting which of the 2 heating oil companies that serve Tioga makes a big difference.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who can afford a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system select one of the 1 “full-service” oil companies that serve Tioga. Full service companies such as WOC Energy or offer families annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic oil delivery and furnace repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s fuel oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The customer does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “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 number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order when you're running low. Examples of 1 Tioga cash heating oil companies serving Tioga include WOC Online Discount Inc and .
Tioga Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Heating oil Companies Serving Tioga: 2 companies .
Average Number of Tioga Households Served per Heating Oil company : 331725
Tioga Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 homes in Tioga heat their homes with number two heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Tioga temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Tioga homes rely on oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Tioga County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Tioga County Households | Tioga County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
2 Tioga Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Tioga homes the last heating season, the Tioga community relies on its 2 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. 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 Tioga, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to residences and companies throughout Tioga and the surrounding region.
