Home Heating Fuel Comparison - BTU / $ Update

[W1VD]

The cold snap prompted me to update last years chart with this years heating costs. Prices shown are for Connecticut and believed to be reasonably accurate. The chart does not take into account efficiency differences or other factors - this is just raw energy in BTU / $.   

http://www.w1vd.com/Fuel comparison 2009.pdf

[k4kyv]

What exactly is the difference between "oil" and kerosene?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

The level or amount of refining, Don. Heating oil is basically diesel.

[WA1GFZ]

diesel without road tax
Good kero is almost clear.

[The Slab Bacon]

Kerosene is fuel oil refined a little more, and bleached to make it clear. In the old days they used to bleach it with sulphuric acid. Thats why you find so many antique kerosene lanterns with the bottoms of the fuel tanks rusted out. It also isnt taxed for highway use.

there is no difference at all between #2 heating oil (fuel oil) and #2 diesel fuel except for the road use tax added to diesel fuel. They also add red dye to heating oil so if they check your truck, they can see whether or not you are using taxed or non taxed fuel.

#1 diesel also called super diesel is a mixture of kerosene, fuel oil, JP5 and a few other additives to be hotter burning and easier starting in colder climates.

                                                                   The Slab Bacon

[Bill, KD0HG]

Yup, in the winter they blend #1 with #2 diesel to keep it from jelling in extreme cold.
I get maybe 20% worse mileage on winter diesel than straight #2. Less power, too.

In a pinch, I've used straight kerosene in my farm tractor and it runs fine on it.

#1 fuel oil/kerosene is also similar to aviation fuel JP-8, and Jet A. The basic stuff is the same but the additives are different per application.

Slab, I don't believe they use JP-5 any more. That was a kerosene-gasoline blend. JP-8/Jet A is much safer.

[w1vtp]

diesel without road tax
Good kero is almost clear.

This summer I drove by a couple of gas stations either in VT or NH, I forget, where the stations were selling "off road" diesel fuel - presumably diesel w/o tax!!  HA

Al

[Mike/W8BAC]

According to my Ford dealer the new "LOW SULFUR" diesel fule is the reason for my overall (winter/Summer) 5% drop in mileage.

According to the web the reason diesel prices have climbed so high and remains far above the price of regular gasoline is because the new low sulfur diesel fuel HAS to be made from light, sweet crude.

My question is WHY can't the sulfur be refined out of sour crude?

I agree, light, sweet Brent crude is expensive BUT if they can refine sour crude into JP-8 they can make low sulfur #2 at a more reasonable price. It doesn't make sense. 

[Bill, KD0HG]

According to my Ford dealer the new "LOW SULFUR" diesel fule is the reason for my overall (winter/Summer) 5% drop in mileage.

According to the web the reason diesel prices have climbed so high and remains far above the price of regular gasoline is because the new low sulfur diesel fuel HAS to be made from light, sweet crude.

My question is WHY can't the sulfur be refined out of sour crude?

I agree, light, sweet Brent crude is expensive BUT if they can refine sour crude into JP-8 they can make low sulfur #2 at a more reasonable price. It doesn't make sense. 

Mike, we're being fed a bunch of BS.

According to my local fuel distributor and other sources, sulfur removal from diesel only adds 5 cents a gallon to the price. And the sulfur they remove is very marketable.

They can refine diesel from *any* petroleum. Here in Denver, much of that source comes from Canadian tar sands- Not "light, sweet crude", but gunk. A lot of it is refined from crude locally pumped from Wyoming and Wyoming. Some comes from Texas via pipeline. There are two major refineries in Denver and one in Cheyenne, WY, and they can refine whatever is available.

It's complete bull crap that the only source of diesel is the premium grades of crude oil. Not true at all. Same goes for gasoline, which also has limitations on sulfur content.

I have heard that refining diesel is highly profitable...The demand for gasoline is somewhat elastic, the general public can cut back, but the demand for diesel (and heating oil) is not. Truckers can't cut back, it takes so many gallons of fuel to run a rig for so many miles, and you can only conserve so much for home heating. So they've got the consumers of #2 fuel by the short hairs.

[WA1GFZ]

I use #2 but could switch to electric easily. Had it stayed at the summer price I would be using electric.
You can really cut back a lot if you need to. Just wear more clothing. 60 nights feel nice in the summer we could adjust.
I think the lack of real demand has sent a message. Now if we can really convert away from oil and lower demand even more.