The Future of Oilheat

Heating Oil Keeps Getting Cleaner

Oilheat has kept tens of thousands of Wisconsin homes affordably warm and safe for many years. And that’s expected to continue well into the future.

But many people don’t realize just how much progress has been made over the last few decades.

Overall, the oil heat industry continues to undergo an evolution that is significantly improving its cleanliness, thanks to vast reductions in sulfur levels.

As a result, today’s ultra-low sulfur heating oil burns more cleanly with lower emissions. Heating oil consumers benefit from better heating efficiency and easier maintenance since ultra-low-sulfur heating oil creates fewer deposits on heat exchangers.

This is only the beginning. The quality of heating oil will get even better in the years ahead. That’s good news for the environment—and for homeowners’ pocketbooks.

How Much Oilheat Has Improved

• Thanks to major advances in technology, heating oil systems burn 95% cleaner than they did in the 1970s.
• High-efficiency furnaces and boilers use substantially less heating oil now (about 700 gallons fewer gallons per year compared with systems used in the 1970s.
• There has been the virtual elimination of air-polluting particulate matter (soot). A new heating oil system that’s functioning properly will not emit soot, dirt, or odors.
• The oilheat industry has set a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net-zero carbon emissions mean that an energy source has a carbon footprint of zero. As ultra-low sulfur Bioheat® fuel becomes more widespread in the coming years, home heating oil will move closer and closer to becoming a carbon-neutral fuel. This and other innovations within the industry will help to keep heating oil as a leader in America’s energy revolution.

Learn more about Bioheat fuel.