Now more than ever before, there is an ongoing and vigorous debate over the use of various energy resources and their potential impact on the environment. As part of this debate, much is being written about the United States’ reliance on foreign oil, the impact of fossil fuels on the environment, and the need to continually improve energy efficiency.
Energy consumers, business leaders, policy makers, and the news media do not need more rhetoric; they need to ensure a balanced dialogue on the economic and environmental benefits of all fuels. As such, it’s important to understand and separate commonly held myths about heating oil and Bioheat® from facts:
Myth: Oilheat is Expensive
Source: Oilheat America
Myth: Oilheat does not produce as much energy as other fuel sources
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
Myth: Oilheat today is inefficient
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance, America Petroleum Institute
Myth: Oilheat produces many harmful air emissions
Source: Oilheat America, American Petroleum Institute
To gain even greater efficiency and lower emissions, the industry in coordination with state environmental agencies is working to cut the sulfur content of heating oil from 1,500 parts per million to 15 parts per million by 2018.
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance
Myth: Oilheat is not renewable
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance
In fact, if just 5 percent of Americans heated their homes with today’s Bioheat®, it would be equivalent to taking 700,000 cars and trucks off the road.
Source: Oilheat America
Myth: Oilheat has not responded to concerns about global warming
Source: National Research Alliance
Myth: No Objective Biodiesel or Bioheat® Fuel Standard Exists
Myth: Bioheat® has not been thoroughly tested
Myth: Bioheat® does not perform as well as conventional heating oil
Myth: Bioheat® does not have sufficient shelf life
Myth: Bioheat® is just used veggie oil and has fuel quality problems
Myth: Bioheat® doesn’t work in cold weather
Myth: Bioheat® causes land to be cleared and is not an “Advanced Biofuel.”
Fact: Under the relatively new Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2), the US EPA has thoroughly evaluated biodiesel and has declared biodiesel an ‘Advanced Biofuel’. Advanced biofuels are only those biofuels produced on existing land and that meet the minimum threshold of over 50% reduction in life cycle carbon emissions compared to petrodiesel. Biodiesel
easily meets or exceeds these requirements since the fats and oils used to make biodiesel are grown on existing land as by-products of producing food and provide an over 80% reduction in life cycle C02 emissions compared to petrodiesel. This recent declaration by EPA makes biodiesel the only commercially available diesel fuel alternative that falls under the ‘Advanced Biofuel’ category of RFS2. Biohea!® is now a cost effective option to meet the over 5 billion gallons of ‘Advanced Biofuels’ under the biomass based diesel and non-differentiated advanced categories of RFS2.
Myth: Bioheat® contributes to food shortages
Myth: Bioheat® is not a viable fuel for the future
Fact: Biohea!® has been thoroughly tested. It has been deemed a comparable fuel to heating oil by ASTM. It has been endorsed by the Oilheat Manufacturers Association and the National Oilheat Research Alliance. Bioheat® is already in thousands of homes providing clean, reliable heat. Because of its renewable component, Bioheat® stands apart from other fuels when it comes to environmental stewardship, energy security and consumer confidence. Bioheat® is here to stay.
For more information about energy, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration website.


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