What is the Bio Heating Oil Service?

You can now heat your home or business with a blend of standard #2 heating oil and biodiesel, which is oil refined from vegetable oil, recycled cooking grease, or animals fats.   For the winter of 2006-2007, Mass Energy has teamed up with local heating oil dealers to offer a 20% biodiesel blended with 80% heating oil.

Before this winter, we offered a product that was 10% biodiesel and 90% low-sulfur diesel. The cost of the low-sulfur diesel had been averaging about 5-10 cents more than regular heating oil. This past year it has begun to average 30 cents per gallon more. While we believe it is a great product and we are looking forward to all our heating oil eventually meeting the same specifications as the low-sulfur diesel, moving to a 20 % biodiesel product has its advantages as well.  For example, it is about 25 cents per gallon cheaper than the 10% biodiesel product.  Beyond the more competitive price, the 20% product displaces twice as much carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, than the 10% product. 

The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) has approved specifications for biodiesel (D-6751). This standard ensures that the product will be constant and not subject to any harmful contaminants that might come from a non-industrial production method. It assures consumers of a quality product. Most of the biodiesel made today in the United States comes from soy oil. Soy oil is a commodity product extracted in the soy processing system.

Mass Energy has three full service oil dealers offering the Bio Heating Oil Service in eastern Massachusetts. If you hit the join button, you will be asked to enter your zip code that will indicate if we service your city or town. Generally anyone in Boston and the suburbs southwest to Walpole and northwest to Harvard will have the service available. We are hoping to add dealers to the North and South Shores soon.

Our dealers have been handling this product for two winters in some areas and one winter in others. To date, there has been no fuel related service issues reported. In fact, one of our dealers has data that indicates the extra expense may well be recouped by increased efficiency and maintenance cost savings. No adjustments or changes to your system are required.