According to September’s American Community Survey report, 46.5 percent of American households heated with natural gas in 2021. While 41.0 percent heated with electricity.
The shares of gas and electricity were quite different back in 2010. That year, 49.5 percent heated with gas. While 35.4 percent heated with electricity.
2.6 million more households heated with gas in 2021, as compared with 2010. But 11.7 million more households heated with electricity in 2021, as compared with 2010.
In third place among heating fuels, behind gas and electricity, is fuel oil (kerosene included). In 2010, 7.4 million or 6.5 percent of American households heated with fuel oil. By 2021, oil-heated households had fallen to 5.2 million or 4.1 percent.
Electricity is gradually taking a larger share of household heating.
For example, in 2021, a hundred and three thousand new single-family houses completed had electric forced-air furnaces for their heating system. In contrast, from 2008 through 2018, this number had never exceeded forty-four thousand per year.
And, also in 2021, three hundred and twenty-five thousand new single-family houses completed had electric heat pumps for their heating system. In contrast, from 2008 through 2018, this number had never exceeded two hundred and eighty-four thousand per year.
The key word is gradual, with respect to the changing shares of gas and electricity. In 2021, four hundred and seventy-four thousand new single-family houses completed had gas forced-air furnaces for their heating system. And forty-four thousand had gas heat pumps for their heating system.