Heating Oil and the Environment
Renewable Bioheat Fuel Results in Fewer Emissions
Did you know that reformulated heating oil with a biofuel blend burns more cleanly than in the past? Because it is cleaner burning, today’s “new” heating oil generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the “old” heating oil.
It’s true, and with the continued growth of ultra-low sulfur Bioheat® fuel is on a path to becoming a carbon-neutral fuel.
Advanced liquid heating fuels like Bioheat fuel combine ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and biodiesel, which is made from renewable products like used cooking oil, plant oils and animal fats, among other products. Made in the U.S.A., Bioheat fuel is one of the cleanest-burning alternative energy sources.
The end game is to eventually transition to B100 Bioheat fuel (0% petroleum, 100% biofuel). All of this is exciting news for anyone who appreciates the benefits of using modern heating oil to stay safe and warm at an affordable cost.
You also benefit from fewer maintenance issues since ultra-low-sulfur oil leaves fewer deposits on heat exchangers.
Besides being clean-burning, heating oil also generates a very high number of Btus of heat energy per gallon, so it will warm your home reliably—and more evenly. Modern, efficient heating-oil systems in well-insulated homes can help homeowners achieve the same amount of warmth while using much less fuel!
Heating Oil Is a Safe Fuel Too
People still have big misconceptions about not only the cleanliness of heating oil, but the safety of heating oil too. The truth is heating oil has always been a remarkably safe fuel. People who understand this say that this is a big reason why they choose to stay with heating oil as their home heating fuel.
- Heating oil cannot explode. If you drop a lit match into a bucket of heating oil, the flame will go out just as if you dropped the match into water.
- Heating oil cannot burn in its liquid state. It takes an advanced high-tech burner to ignite the oil. Before combustion can occur, heating oil must first be vaporized by an oil burner at temperatures above 140°.
- Heating oil storage tanks are now designed with corrosion-resistant materials. New technology allows for remote monitoring to protect against the rare event of a leak and guarantees that you will always have a sufficient supply of heating oil on hand.
You will be able to enhance heating oil safety even further by getting system maintenance done regularly. This will ensure that your heating oil furnace or heating oil boiler runs with the greatest safety and efficiency.
But if your heating oil system is more than 25 years old, or if you’re spending more money on repairs than you did before, you should replace your outdated heating equipment. Today’s high-efficiency heating oil furnaces and heating oil boilers provide heat more efficiently than equipment made a generation ago.
Higher efficiency means more energy savings, which of course translates into lower energy costs. This is why it pays to learn as much as you can about today’s high-tech heating oil equipment solutions—and your Wisconsin heating oil service company can help you, with all the latest information on new, high-efficiency heating oil furnaces and heating oil boilers.
They can also tell you about an equipment rebate program that can save you hundreds of dollars on your investment in a new heating oil system.
]Once you’ve installed a new heating system, you will also have virtually eliminated the need for the expensive repairs and the escalating maintenance costs associated with an aging system. Just think, no more strange noises in the night and no more coping with a loss of heat because another worn-out part failed. You will also reduce your risk of having to deal with frozen pipes, and the ensuing water damage, caused by your old system conking out while you were away from home on vacation.
Reach out to your Wisconsin heating oil service company to learn more about new, high-efficiency heating oil systems.