Bioheat Heating Oil

What is Bioheat?

Bioheat (B20) is a blend of 80% low sulfur No. 2 home heating oil and 20% biodiesel. This is a blend that can be used in your home’s oil burning furnace, as well as in diesel operated automobiles. This blend percentage ensures the safe and consistent operation of your current furnace while maximizing the environmental benefits of biodiesel.

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a cleaner burning, domestic and renewable fuel that can be refined from vegetable oil, animal fats or waste grease. The biodiesel we use currently in our B20 blend is supplied to us by Greenleaf Biofuels. Biodiesel meets all ASTM requirements and is the only EPA approved alternative fuel to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

What is pure Biodiesel like?

• It’s less toxic than table salt.
• It biodegrades as fast as sugar.
• It blends easily with petroleum products.
• It also provides an opportunity to recycle waste cooking products.

Why should I use Bioheat heating oil?

• It’s renewable.
• It burns cleaner in your furnace, initially causing more frequent filter changes but within a year requiring less cleaning, less often.
• All our biodiesel is filtered to 1 micron increasing the quality and reliability of the fuel and is sampled regularly.
• It reduces exhaust emissions including toxins by up to 78% (16% in a B20 blend).
• It substantially reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter, thus reducing the localized formation of smog.
• It dramatically reduces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAH), which have been identified as potential cancer-causing compounds.
• It essentially eliminates emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (20% reduction in a B20 blend), thus reduces major components of acid rain.
• It reduces global warming gas emissions.

What about the bigger picture?

Using bioheat supports our domestic economy, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and enhances our national security. A typical household using B20 bioheat reduces CO2 emissions by 15% and particulate pollution by 20% — emitting 3,200 lbs. less CO2 annually. Environmentally, using bioheat significantly decreases emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter that contribute to lung disease and cancer. Bioheat can be part of the solution to a global problem and an anchor for the future. That is why joining our bioheat Co-op is so important.

What about the cost?

The cost of bioheat heating oil is running higher than the cost of the Co-op pricing for No.2 home heating oil. You can expect to pay a price that would be close to the price of oil if you were not in the Co-op. The industry is confident that demand as well as a heightened sense of responsibility and environmental stewardship, the cost of bioheat continues to become more competitive. With all energy costs rising, a B20 blend reflects the increase of petrodiesel also. Contact the Citizen’s Oil Co-op to find out what current prices are for bioheat.

What towns are being served?

Currently, about half of the towns in Connecticut are offering bioheat with the discounted price available through your Co-op membership. In locations where it is not currently available, you can get 10 neighbors interested in switching to bioheat and we might be able to get the company to serve your town. Click on the map above to see all towns presently served.

Couple bioheat with a home energy audit to reduce the cost of heating while creating a cleaner environment.