33 percent of Cape Cod residents turn to biofuels for heating oil as oil prices rise

In Massachusetts, Home and Garden has become the third fuel-oil heating company on Cape Cod to offer biodiesel blend. The company reported that one-third of its customers signed up for the blend, now that blended biodiesel has the same cost as regular heating oil. Last winter, only 35 of 1500 customers expressed interest in bioheat, when the product cost as much as 12 cents more per gallon.

In New York, apartment buildings and residents are turning to biodiesel for heating fuel. The switch can reduce the emission of soot and carbon dioxide compared to regular diesel. An article in the Christian Science Monitor projects that thousands of New York buildings will convert this winter, and that buildings in Boston and Philadelphia will begin to switch as well. The article estimates that New York burns 500 million gallons of fuel oil per year for heating.

Increases in soybean prices have hit biodiesel production, creating uncertainty over the fuel savings that might be achieved with the switch.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Zimbabwe deforestation concerns mount as oil prices force villages to burn wood for fuel; biofuels seen as solution

In Zimbabwe, concerns are mounting over deforestation resulting from the rise in oil prices and the accompanying use of wood for fuel. The Forestry Company of Zimbabwe projects that the rise in oil p...

FIS to invest $190 million in three South African biodiesel projects

In South Africa, First In Spec (FIS) Biofuels will invest $190 million in three waste vegetanle oil biodiesel plants in Natal and the Cape provinces. One plant will be constructed in Richards Bay, Nat...

Energy Information Administration projects $50 oil throughout 2009

The Energy Information Administration said that it expects oil prices to average $50 per barrel throughout 2009. The EIA released its "Short Term Energy Outlook" this week, which can be downloaded her...

New York apartment buildings turn to biodiesel for winter heat; Boston, Philly next

In New York, apartment buildings and residents are turning to biodiesel for heating fuel. The switch can reduce the emission of soot and carbon dioxide compared to regular diesel. An article in the Ch...

Sugar prices to double in 18 months as Brazilian ethanol and Indian cutbacks take effect

In India, economists are projecting that India will reduce its sugar production 16 percent in 2009. With the use of sweeteners on the rise in India and China, and Brazil expected to use 57 percent of ...

Nebraska professor says ethanol not a “big contributor” to food price rise

In Nebraska, University of Nebraska-Lincoln economist Richard Perrin testified that "it's obvious that [ethanol is] not a very big contributor" to the rise in food prices, saying that grains make up 3...