The US also gets a larger share of its energy from oil relative to coal. With the shale boom, oils become cheaper and more reliable in the US and burns more cleanly than coal.
Oil is used for heating in a lot of homes in the northeastern US. I believe it's essentially the same as diesel, but I think I recall reading that it's dyed because it's taxed differently and you're not supposed to use it in your vehicle.
Natural gas heat is popular, but not everywhere is connected.
https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3