Written on: March 29, 2023
The many Mainers who live in a home that is kept warm by heating oil appreciate all of the benefits they get. Let’s begin with reviewing all the progress that has been made in reducing the carbon footprint of heating oil.
As you may know, many Maine heating oil companies now deliver Bioheat® fuel, a blend of renewable biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur heating oil. It represents one of the best ways for reducing carbon dioxide in the environment without sacrificing comfort or needing to undertake expensive, disruptive equipment replacements.
So how does Bioheat fuel stack up against the traditional heating oil Mainers have relied on for decades? First, the similarities. Bioheat fuel basically works the same as traditional heating oil in your boiler or furnace. You can use it in your existing heating oil system without modification.
Bioheat fuel offers a responsible, immediate road to carbon reduction. That’s because Bioheat fuel reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 86%, compared to traditional petroleum heating oil. Bioheat fuel also helps eliminate harmful sulfur oxides and particulate matter.
In terms of fuel efficiency, you don’t lose any heating power with Bioheat fuel either. On the contrary, it burns more efficiently, reducing heating system maintenance, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. It also has the highest Btu content of any alternative fuel!
Read more about Bioheat fuel so you can feel good about your next heating oil delivery.
Being safe at home is another primary reason many people prefer to heat their home with oil. With everything that’s happening in the world today, the last thing you want is to feel unsafe at home.
For starters, heating oil cannot explode. The oil in your tank is as likely to explode as the water in your backyard swimming pool. It’s that safe.
Plus, with an oil tank on your property, you can always count on having a secure, on-site supply at your home. Heating oil is easily transported and handled by highly trained professionals, who use equipment and techniques that keep safety at the forefront.
Additionally, a heating oil system poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an oil burner malfunctions (most often due to a lack of maintenance), the safety devices in the unit will typically shut the oil furnace or oil boiler off.
Heating oil generates nearly 140,000 Btu of heat for every gallon burned and warms a home evenly and efficiently.
This is because the flame in a heating oil system burns much hotter than many other energy systems. This produces more heat and warmer air or water, which leads to evenly distributed heat throughout the house. So, when the outdoor temperatures are in the single digits, that powerful heat output can help keep your home as cozy as ever.
Technology has also brought great improvements in heating oil equipment efficiency that has reduced annual fuel consumption by as much as 40%. This has saved heating oil consumers a lot of money on fuel.
Today’s heating equipment regularly achieves efficiency levels of 85% or better. With the introduction of higher blends of Bioheat fuel, we will start to see super high-efficiency systems available in the U.S. These systems will achieve efficiency levels of 90% or more!
Read more about the benefits of heating oil, including heating oil tanks.