If you use heating oil to heat your Eastern LI home, you’ve probably at least heard of Bioheat.® But how much do you really know about this revolutionary energy source, and how is it different than conventional “No.2” home heating oil?
Let’s take a look.
Bioheat Basics
Bioheat (sold by Burt’s Reliable as Natural Heating Oil) is a fuel made by blending ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) with biodiesel – a renewable energy resource made in America from soy other vegetable oils, animal fats, recycled restaurant oils and other natural sources.
Typical blends range from two to twenty percent biodiesel per gallon (the blend percentage is indicated by the “B” number in the fuel name: B5 is five percent biodiesel, for example). At Burt’s Reliable, we sell a B20 Bioheat blend – the highest biodiesel content commercially available for homes in New York State.
In most cases, Bioheat can be used in modern heating oil equipment without modification – in fact, if you’re a Burt’s customer, you’re already using it, since that’s the only heating oil we sell! Most major heating system manufacturers accept Bioheat as covered under their warranties for use.
Comparing Fuel Costs
The price difference between Bioheat and No. 2 heating oil is slim, with Bioheat typically being pennies more per gallon or less. However, when you consider the total cost of the two fuels, Bioheat comes out on top by a substantial margin.
Here’s why:
- First, by using Bioheat, you improve the efficiency of your equipment, since Bioheat burns cleaner than than No. 2 oil.
- By burning cleaner, you also save on maintenance costs in the short and medium term and extend the life of your equipment – meaning that you get more heating system use per dollar.
- Lastly, as a Biofuel customer, you qualify for a 20-cent per gallon credit on your taxes, thanks to New York State’s Clean Fuel Credit.
Eco Benefits Of Bioheat
If you’re an eco-warrior living in our eastern LI service area using fuel oil to heat your home, we have some good news for you (and your lungs): by using B20 Biofuel, you won’t just save wear and tear on your heating equipment, – you’ll also save wear and tear on the planet.
That’s because every gallon of Bioheat you use reduces airborne emissions compared to using other sources of home heating, including coal-generated electricity and conventional No. 2 heating oil.
Here are six pollutants potentially produced by heating your home – and every one of them is reduced by using Bioheat rather than other energy sources:
- Sulfur oxides (especially sulfur dioxide, or SO2) – 80 percent reduction vs. No. 2 heating oil
- Nitrogen oxides (especially nitrogen dioxide, or NO2) – 20-30 percent reduction vs. No. 2 heating oil
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) – 20 percent reduction vs. No. 2 heating oil
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Particulate matter emissions (particulates)
By extending the life of heating equipment, fewer furnaces and boilers will find their way into the landfill – another Biofuel environmental benefit.
As you can see, Bioheat is a great choice for heating your home in an environmentally responsible way– so great, in fact, that residential Bioheat® fuel-fired heating equipment is not even regulated under the Federal Clean Air Act.
Did you know that Burt’s Reliable offers B20 Bioheat delivery in Long Island’s East End and North Fork? Contact us today to learn more, or to become a Burt’s Reliable customer!