“If we don’t go to a greener fuel,
then we’re basically just counting
the days until we’re no
longer in business.”
There were questions, such as
whether the new fuel would work in
existing heating systems, “but also it was
embraced by many of our customers,”
he said. “They like that we’re doing
something more sustainable and that
they didn’t have to opt in. We’ve received
some good coverage from it, but we also
wanted to impact change in how people
viewed our fuel and services. “
“Initially, we applied Bioheat® logos on
all four sides of every single truck and van
and then added it to our stationery. We
dedicated the front page of our spring
and fall newsletters to share the positive
attributes about the new fuel—bringing it
up to people so that they would be aware
of it. We also had our techs talk about
it with homeowners every chance they
had.”
Cubby began delivering a 20% blend
(B20) to all customers in July 2016 and
as of July 2018 the fuel they deliver is
ultra low sulfur B20, which burns cleaner
than natural gas. It improves combustion
efficiency and extends service intervals by
keeping heat exchangers virtually free of
deposits.
In 2014, Massachusetts passed a law
that added biodiesel to its Alternative
Energy Portfolio Standard and made
it eligible for Alternative Energy
Credits (AECs) which are analogous to
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Only
biodiesel derived from waste vegetable
oils, waste animal fats and grease trap
waste qualifies and blends must have a
minimum of 10% biofuel.
Uglietto said the waste-only
requirement creates some supply
challenges. “I give the state credit for
wanting to commit to using waste as it is
a good thing to keep it out of landfills and
utilize it in a way that it would alleviate
the negative issues associated with the
heating oil of the past. They were not
concerned about availability. They think
the market will fill in as long as dealers
like me are asking for it, but time will tell.”
Cubby purchases B99 from qualified
producers and blends it in to qualify for
available AECs. “We do treat our fuel as
I mentioned earlier and since we kicked
into the B20 blend, we have optimized
the additives and worked on the cold-flow
protection of the fuel, that’s where you
can see issues, with the higher blends.
However, we just endured a bitter cold
December and January and we had only
one tank that had a flow problem. It
turned out the driver had not additized at
the previous delivery.”
Maintenance issues have not increased
with the move to higher blends. “I am
more interested when we have a fuel
pump issue now because of the stories
we hear about pump seals leaking, but we
have not had an increase in pump seals
leaking and that’s with a lot of customers
using older equipment.”
He is testing higher blend levels in his
own home. “I have confidence in B20
ultra low sulfur fuel and I’m just starting
to introduce some higher blend levels
to see what will happen. I went to a
B60 blend and after three days, I had
to make an adjustment to the burner.
Now I know that a B60 blend
is going to require equipment
adjustments,” he said.
“There are restrictions if
we are talking B100, but as an
industry we have to push how
far we can go with the product
and see what housekeeping we’ll need to
make sure our customers have working
equipment,” he said. He has asked the
National Oilheat Research Alliance to
conduct additional testing and determine
what measures are necessary to succeed
with higher blend levels.
“We need to have legislators look at us
as a fuel that will help them meet their
greenhouse gas emissions goals while at
the same time not being ‘non-renewable,’
like natural gas is.”
Uglietto is deeply committed to
changing how customers think. “We still
have gas conversions today, and it blows
my mind that people will convert to gas,”
he said. “We tell them straight up, ‘Fine,
you want to pollute the environment? Go
right ahead,’ but you’re not going to do
that with Bioheat®, and certainly not with
a B20 blend. “
“We talk to them and ask, ‘Have you
ever walked through your neighborhood
and smelled the gas leaking from the
ground?’ It has happened 24 hours a
day, seven days a week for years and
it’s important that we continue to drive
home that it is pollution. It doesn’t make
a mess, but it is certainly contributing to
the problems that we have. If we want to
satisfy the Paris Accord in 2030 and 2050,
we need to have a fuel that we can tell
customers will help us get there.”
D396ASTM’s spec for neat
heating oil and blends
up to 5% biodiesel
Biodiesel Success Stories 25