Kris DeLair, Empire State Energy Association
As colder weather returns to Upstate New York, I for one am looking forward to everything from our beautiful fall foliage to warm apple cider and hayrides. And when we think about keeping our homes and families warm during this change in seasons, it’s important that we think about the environment too. Bioheat® fuel is a low-carbon heating fuel that has been delivered in our neighborhoods for several years now, and it’s helping to reduce carbon emissions right now and preserve our planet for future generations.
Bioheat® fuel works in place of traditional heating oil, and the difference between traditional fuel oil and Bioheat® fuel is that the latter incorporates percentages of renewable substances. These sustainable materials are typically extracted as by-products during agricultural crop harvesting. Other sources of waste oil can be recycled into Bioheat® fuel as well, such as used cooking oil from your favorite pizza place, which gives them an additional source of income.
There are two big reasons that Bioheat® fuel has emerged as one of the smartest choices for sustainability. The first is that New York recently implemented a statewide mandate for all heating oil deliveries to contain at least 5% biodiesel, which is the renewable portion of your Bioheat® fuel. The second reason is that Bioheat® fuel offers significant environmental benefits, including reducing carbon emissions dramatically via its low sulfur content. Homeowners can shrink their carbon footprint simply by ordering fuel as usual, with no equipment modifications necessary.
And speaking of your heating equipment, manufacturers are on board with the Bioheat® fuel movement and are hard at work ensuring the heating systems they produce will use it efficiently. Existing oil heat equipment can use Bioheat® fuel with 20% biodiesel content and higher, and if you need to replace your heating system, there are state rebates and federal tax credits available that can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings. Additionally, you could earn up to 20 cents per gallon back on your taxes for every gallon of Bioheat® fuel that you use for home heating or residential water heating.
To learn more about Bioheat® fuel and view details on potential savings, visit BetterwithBioheat.com.
