Oilheat has just gotten smarter...

Oilheat has just gotten smarter - it's eating its vegetables!

Bioheat - heating oil blended with biodegradable, organic materials such as soybean oil - is one of the "hottest" things happening in home comfort. Renewable and non-toxic, Bioheat is not only kind to Mother Earth; it's kind to heating systems, too.

Bioheat Characteristics:

• Domestically produced, soy-based Bioheat can literally be grown at home - helping to support our nation's farmers and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
  
• It is extremely clean burning.
  
• It has the highest Btu content of any alternative fuel.

Information on Oilheat

Find a wealth of information about heating with oil at Oil Heat America.

Here are ways in which Oilheat exemplifies safety and dependability:

• It will not burn in a liquid state. In order to light heating oil on fire, you must heat it above 140 degrees, the temperature at which it begins to vaporize.
• There are visible warnings if there is a malfunction. With home heating oil systems, carbon monoxide leaks rarely happen without warning. If an Oilheat system should malfunction, it will release smoke or soot as a visible warning; these serve as early indicators that something is wrong, long before dangerous carbon monoxide can be released into the air.
• It is non-explosive. Heating oil is not explosive.

Go Pats!

Efficient and Clean

Modern oil equipment is typically 83 to 94 % efficient. New oil heat technology also generates heat and hot water faster than older systems with excellent heat transfer throughout your home.

The efficiency of new burners means that oil heat produces very little smoke and combustion discharge. Electric heat may produce no emissions at your home, but the power plants which make the electricity may produce significant amounts of combustion by-products.

Why should I have my oil furnace serviced every year?

In order to maintain efficiency, parts such as nozzle, oil line filter and air filters should be replaced regularly. Motors also need lubrication and controls should be maintained within the manufacturers specifications. An annual tune-up will help you avoid emergency repair calls. It will also lower your fuel costs, as your system will be operating at peak efficiency. Don't wait for your system to fail or become dangerous! Keep it safe to turn up the heat!

Did you know...

Heating oil burns much cleaner than it did even 15 years ago! In fact today’s heating oil burns just as cleanly as natural gas. And like televisions and cars, oil burning equipment has changed a great deal in the past 30 years.

Don't wait for your system to break down!

Cooold air is on its way. This is the time of year when heating systems are pushed to their max. If you haven't had a low-cost, routine tune-up performed on your oil burner system yet, the upcoming cold weather could easily create problems for you. Many home owners in this situation find themselves with no heat or hot water. To avoid costly service calls, and the inconvenience of a cold home and cold showers, schedule a routine yearly tune-up today.

MOC’s Counter Attack Against Gas Utilities Earns Media Coverage

Oil & Energy Magazine Features Cover Story on MOC’s Ad Campaign

Oil & Energy Magazine, one of the heating oil industry’s lead publications, ran a cover story last month on the recent efforts by the Massachusetts Oilheat Council (MOC) and the American Energy Coalition (AEC) to counter a misleading advertising campaign by National Grid, the state's largest gas utility. MOC President Michael Ferrante told the magazine’s John MacKenna, “The longstanding issue of how we battle natural gas aggression has really come to a head with this campaign. We can’t sit on our hands and just be reacting. We have to promote our industry on a regular basis and be prepared.”  

5 Surprising Oilheat Facts:

1. The average AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) of a new Oilheat system is in the low-to mid-80s. These efficiency levels were reached even before a federal mandate required that all heating systems have a minimum AFUE of 78%.
   
2. Thanks to major technological advancements, the newest Oilheat systems (condensing boilers and furnaces) have AFUE ratings that exceed 92%.
   
3. Oilheated homes warm up quickly and provide even, efficient heat. For every gallon of oil burned, a whopping 138,000 Btus (British Thermal Units) of heat is generated and the flame temperature of Oilheat systems reaches about 3,000.
   
4. There are about 10 million Oilheated homes in the United States; 350,000 of them were built in the past decade.
   
5. Millions of homes in Europe rely on Oilheat for comfort. Germany and Italy, along with the United States, are leaders in the manufacture of Oilheat equipment.

Simple Heat Saving Tips

HEAT SAVING TIPS: EASY DOs
• Get a heating system tune-up — it will ensure you get the maximum perfomance out of every drop of heating oil burned.
• Open shades and drapes when the sun is out to help warm your home. Close them when the sun goes down to reduce heat loss through drafty windows.
• Turn down the thermostat at night and when you are away from home; even slightly low­ering your thermostat during the day may save you up to two percent on your heating bill.
• Insulate pipes to guard against heat loss and to prevent them from freezing.
• Stop heat loss by eliminating any gaps between your door and threshold. Use a seal that can be attached to the bottom of the door – it should brush up against the threshold to fill any gap.
• Caulk or re-caulk extrior spaces between the windows and walls of your home.
• Close your kitchen vent, fire place damper and closet doors, and remove, cover or close air condition ing units and vents when not in use.
• Do not place furniture in front of radiators; it will block heat from circulating.

Did you know?

Newer oil furnaces have an average life expectancy of 15-20 years longer than a gas furnace. What’s more,

modern oil burners produce significantly less U.S. particulate emissions each year. That means when you

heat your home with oil, you are reducing your carbon footprint. If you choose bioheat heating oil, you reduce

it even more.

A little history...

Oilheat and Home Heating

Before Oilheat made the lives of millions warm and cozy, homes were heated with coal that was shoveled into a steam boiler. When the oil burner arrived in the 1920s, it was welcomed with open (and shovel-less) arms.

Along with being cheaper than coal there were other benefits of heating oil. The large and unsightly coal bin was no longer needed, so homeowners could reclaim their space in the basement. Oilheat provided a more even heat with fewer drafts, which meant fewer health risks. Oil burners were clean - there was no soot seeping through the house to ruin clothes and furniture, and no ashes to haul away. In addition, the homeowner could control the temperature simply by touching the thermostat in the living room. Oilheat was dependable, too - the family could leave the house for weeks and return to find reliable, warm comfort.

As the decades passed, great technological strides made Oilheat more efficient, comfortable and dependable, as well as cleaner, quieter and safer. In addition, Oilheat dealers today offer a "menu" of full-service features - from convenient budget plans to comprehensive service contracts - that add more value to every drop of heating oil delivered.