September 2002 

According to the latest information available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), the Baltimore Metropolitan Area was, throughout the 1990s, among the leaders in the number of days with an Air Quality Index above 100 (considered unhealthy for sensitive persons). In 1999, we lagged only Houston and Atlanta with 40 such days. Worse still, while cities like Los Angeles actually reduced its number of days over 100 AQI from a high of 175 days in 1992 to just 27 in 1999, Baltimore has remained fairly steady in the 40-day range. Another EPA study in 1997 listed Baltimore as the fifth worst, out of 90 urban markets across the country, in terms of its Pollutant Standards Index. This Index integrates information on 5 major pollutants, including sulfur oxide.

The State of Maryland permits a maximum sulfur content of 0.30% in #2 heating oil. This sulfur combines with oxygen in your furnace to create sulfur oxide. According to the EPA, more than 95% of the sulfur in the oil is converted to sulfur oxide. This sulfur oxide is a prime cause of fouling in your furnace’s heat exchanger. As a result of this fouling, the sulfur oxide is sent out of your chimney in the form of fine sooty emissions that contribute to this area’s poor air quality. Sulfur oxide is also one of the more destructive components of acid rain.

  is derived from the low sulfur fuel that is now being produced to meet new environmental standards. It typically contains .03% sulfur (.05% sulfur maximum), or 80% less than conventional heating oil. There are many studies that have been performed in recent years that validate and extol the virtues of the use of low sulfur fuel in place of #2 oil. The majority of these studies have been performed under the auspices of the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Among the findings to come out of these studies are that the emission rate of sulfur oxide decreases from .26 to .05 pounds per million BTUs of fuel oil burned when low sulfur fuel is substituted for #2 and that boiler/furnace efficiency drops off by about 2% per year due to heat exchanger fouling, with approximately 50% of the fouling caused by sulfur oxide.

In addition to its positive environmental impact,   benefits our customers directly because it is more stable than conventional heating oil, will not form sludge in the bottom of your oil tank, and is more resistant to waxing, gelling in colder weather. It will slow chimney deterioration and reduce scaling on your heat exchanger, which means less corrosion and longer equipment life. Quite simply, it is a better-refined product.

Even though you would expect a superior product to command a significantly higher price, due to the numerous cost savings benefits, we are able to offer at rates competitive with High Sulfur #2 Heating Oil.

Why is Kero-Del able to offer you this product? It’s really simple – we always try to anticipate changing consumer desires and regulatory reform and stay on the cutting edge of new energy products. The EPA continues to lower the sulfur standard for oils of all types. The public continues to demand cleaner air. Everybody would love to get more efficiency and longer life out of their heating equipment. In line with our philosophy of unequaled customer service, we have been investigating the possibility of selling a lower sulfur product for several years, but the research was not yet conclusive and product availability was suspect. Now that the benefits of lower sulfur are indisputable and our availability concerns have been addressed we are very excited to be the first in this area to make this product our standard heating oil.

  - TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!