What You Should Know About Today's Cleaner, More Efficient Heating Oil
You may have heard heating oil referred to as "fuel oil" — but the two aren't exactly the same thing. Fuel oil is a broad term covering a wide range of petroleum products, including heating oil, diesel fuels, and kerosene. Heating oil specifically is what keeps your home warm all winter long.
Today's heating oil isn't the same product it was a generation ago, when it earned a reputation for soot, smoke, and odor. Modern heating oil is cleaner burning, more environmentally friendly, and more energy efficient than ever before. With dependable heating oil delivery from NOCO, Western New York homeowners can enjoy all of those benefits right at home.
What is ULSHO — and What Does It Mean for Your Heating Oil?
ULSHO stands for ultra-low sulfur heating oil — and it represents one of the most significant improvements in heating oil in recent decades. As of 2018, New York State requires all heating oil to contain 15 parts per million (PPM) of sulfur or less to meet ULSHO standards. For comparison, traditional No. 2 heating oil contained an average of 4,000 PPM — making today's heating oil dramatically cleaner by comparison.
This near-total elimination of sulfur from heating oil — a reduction of more than 99% — has led to a dramatic drop in greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to traditional heating oil, ULSHO reduces sulfur dioxide emissions by 75% and nitrous oxide emissions by 10%. Both are significant greenhouse gases and major contributors to climate change.
What's Next for Heating Oil? The Rise of Biodiesel Blends
The heating oil industry has set an ambitious goal: carbon neutrality by 2050. Technological advances are making that goal increasingly achievable. One of the most impactful developments has been the blending of biodiesel into heating oil. Biodiesels are derived from a variety of renewable, natural resources, including:
- Plant-based oils including soybean, rapeseed, canola, sunflower, and inedible corn oil
- Recycled cooking oils from restaurants and commercial kitchens
- Animal fats such as beef tallow
- Algae
When biodiesel is blended with heating oil, the result is a product known as Bioheat®. The grade of Bioheat depends on how much biodiesel has been added to the heating oil blend:
Blending biodiesel into heating oil delivers real advantages for homeowners. First, using less petroleum is better for both the environment and America's energy independence — reducing reliance on foreign oil imports. Second, biodiesel blends reduce emissions even further beyond the gains already achieved with ULSHO heating oil. In fact, heating oil blends with 20% or more biodiesel burn cleaner than natural gas.
Third, cleaner-burning heating oil means greater energy efficiency and lower heating costs — without giving up an ounce of comfort when the Polar Vortex sweeps through Western New York. Finally, biodiesel-blended heating oil is gentler on your home's heating system. Lower sulfur content combined with cleaner combustion means fewer deposits on your heat registers, less wear on system components, fewer breakdowns, and potentially years added to the life of your furnace or boiler — all of which adds up to more money in your pocket.
Upgrade to Cleaner, More Efficient Heating Oil Today
Ready to experience the difference that today's cleaner, higher-efficiency heating oil can make? Reach out to NOCO today. Our team serves homeowners throughout Western and Upstate NY.
