Don't Get Caught in Pricing Games...

Don't Get Caught in Pricing Games...

September is the unofficial start of our busy season as homeowners start calling to secure their fuel for the upcoming winter. With hundreds of companies out there trying to win your business, many companies will throw low-ball prices out to try to entice customers to switch, and that’s when the pricing game begins…

Don’t get sucked into a deal that seems too good to be true, because it probably is! Here are some things to look out for:

At Gault, we don’t play games.

In fact, we want to be as transparent as possible and educate our customers so they can make informed decisions. You won’t see a low-ball price offer from us but our customers know that our service is unmatched and our prices are fair; that’s why many of you have been with us for not just years, but decades!

If you have any questions, concerns or need help selecting the right pricing program for the upcoming season, our Customer Care team is here to help at 203.227.5181.

Taking The Lead With Biofuel

Taking The Lead With Biofuel

Perhaps tracking the happenings in the Connecticut State Legislature isn’t top on your list of hobbies but in our industry, we keep a close eye on how proposed and passed legislation will impact our customers.

As part of the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, home heating oil (Bioheat) is to be blended with higher levels of low carbon fuels like biodiesel to benefit consumers and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Even with the positive environmental impact from biofuels, many in Hartford are still pushing for an electrification only model, but let’s see how it stacks up against Bioheat:

NOT CLEAN

Did you know power plants run on natural gas and coal? Both of these fuel sources emit greenhouse gases like methane and carbon. In fact, power plants are the biggest producer of methane gas, and carbon emissions continue to skyrocket every year.

With Bioheat: Carbon emissions are actually reduced by up to 74% compared to the home heating oil of the past. This means an immediate reduction in greenhouse gases.

OLD GRID

Our power grid is not in the best shape. From insufficient capacity for our current use to sparking fires from lines in disrepair, it’s hard to imagine adding more strain to this system. As it is, blackouts and lengthy power outages have become the norm.

With Bioheat: Some of the strain on the electric grid is reduced when heating your home with Bioheat, especially in New England where the ISO declared in 2021 that the region is at heightened risk for winter outages.

NO RETURN

The economics of converting a home to electric heat pumps is simply cost prohibitive for most Americans. Consider this: the number of heat pumps you’ll need is about the same as the number of window AC units you would need in the summer. The equipment installation alone costs $7,000 to $15,000 for just one heat pump, let alone multiple and don’t forget about the significant increase in your electric bill!

With Bioheat: Keeping and maintaining your Bioheat heating equipment is a minor expense in the long run, especially as higher blends of biodiesel help clean your system for greater efficiency and longer equipment lifespans.

MONOPOLY

There aren’t many options for utility companies in the area and with electricity, we’re putting all our eggs in one basket. Without competition, prices rise, quality declines, and service becomes unreliable.

With Bioheat: Freedom of choice! Home heating oil has a deep connection to entrepreneurship, small businesses, family-owned ventures and community building. These values not only let you choose your home energy provider but support your local economy with jobs as well.

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To learn more about Bioheat and the impact of electrification in Connecticut, visit gaultenergy.com/bioheat.

Sources: American Energy Coalition; CEMA; Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Fast Facts: Bioheat & the Environment

Fast Facts: Bioheat & the Environment

You’re not the only one who thinks about climate change and the environment! In fact, reducing greenhouse gases is a major mission for our industry. As Connecticut continues to adopt higher blends of renewable Bioheat, here are some fast facts that should answer your questions about its impact on the environment.

• Every gallon of Bioheat reduces greenhouse gas emissions on average 79%.

• The carbon emissions from producing biodiesel are considered recycled carbon since it’s reabsorbed by the plants that are used to create biodiesel. Traditional carbon produced from petroleum does not get reabsorbed for decades.

• The industry adoption of Bioheat significantly reduces the amount of petroleum used in CT.

• Biodiesel is made from discarded renewable organic sources and uses the byproducts from the processing of soybeans and canola.

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Air Resource Board, biodiesel reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions by up to 69 to 88% compared to traditional heating oil or diesel fuel.

• Bioheat is the only fuel currently on the market that will continue to reduce its carbon footprint annually as it evolves to a B100 blend.

• The average Bioheat blend in CT is 7% - what does this mean: The state’s carbon emissions are reduced by over 365,000 metric tons which is like removing 80,000 cars from the road.

• The carbon footprint of a home that uses heating oil decreases as Bioheat blends increase, so much so that converting to electric heat will lead to an increase in that home’s carbon footprint.

National Biodiesel Day

National Biodiesel Day

March 18th is National Biodiesel Day! It’s an important day in our industry as it celebrates the evolution of our product and the future of our industry. If you didn’t know, every gallon of heating oil in Connecticut is blended with biodiesel, a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats and recycled grease. The biodiesel industry supports over 62,000 jobs in the United States and billions in paid wages.

As an industry, we have been working hard for decades to push this product forward. I personally have sat on the executive board of our industry association for over 8 years and continually advocate to legislators in Hartford. We have committed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by setting biodiesel blending benchmarks: a 20% blend by 2023, 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050

As a company, we have continually evolved over our 160-year history to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve, and I believe biodiesel is what will bring us into the future. I am passionate about our fuel and optimistic about the future; if you ever want to chat about it, drop me a line at asksam@gaultfamilyco.com.

Happy Spring!

Sam Gault
President
Gault Family Companies

The Strength of Bioheat

The Strength of Bioheat®

As an industry, we have been working for the past two decades to forge our own path to net-zero emissions. The fuel we deliver today is called BioHeat®, a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil with biodiesel, a domestic, sustainable and renewable energy source. Currently, we deliver a 5 to 7% biodiesel blend to your homes. As an industry, we have committed to increasing that blend to 20% by 2023, 50% by 2030 and to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050!

To further this goal, a coalition of US energy fuel dealers and Midwest farmers have established Project Carbon Freedom to support the mission of advancing liquid biofuels as a solution to quickly, safely and affordably transition the country to a carbon-free way of life.

The economics of moving towards a 100% biodiesel blend have a long reach for many sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, service and transportation. Today, the biodiesel industry supports over 62,000 domestic jobs and billions in paid wages; as biodiesel consumption continues to ramp up, so will the economic benefits.

For consumers, the benefits are two-fold: a transition to higher biodiesel blends can occur with little to no impact on the consumer, and it will not only reduce their carbon footprint but higher levels of biodiesel have been proven to reduce service-related issues in heating equipment.

To learn more about electrification, Project Carbon Freedom and BioHeat®, visit ProjectCarbonFreedom.com

Get To Know Your Home

Get to Know Your Home

If you’re one of the many that moved into a new home over the last year, whether a first-time buyer or a seasoned homeowner, it is always important to get acquainted with the systems in your home. Here are some of the basics.:

Is my heating system a furnace or a boiler?

Well, boilers use hot water (think boiling water) to heat your home through radiant flooring or radiators. Furnaces, on the other hand, use warm air or ‘forced air’ that is blown through duct work and vents to heat the home. Then, there is hydro-air which is a boiler that converts hot water to warm air.

Do I need to know how to turn my heating system off?

Yes! In case of emergency… locate your Emergency Switch, main water shut-off valve, and electrical panel. The emergency switch is usually located as you enter the basement and should have a red switch plate. This switch shuts off the burner in your heating system, the component that houses the unit’s combustion. Watch our how-to video here!

What are the important components of my propane tank?

Make sure you locate your propane gauge and shut off valve under the top cover of your tank. The gauge is read as a percentage of volume you have in your tank. Remember, since propane is stored as a liquid under pressure, a tank reading of 80% is considered full to ensure the propane has room to expand as temperatures fluctuate throughout the day. Watch our how-to video here!

It’s my first time in an oil heated home, help!

We know an oil heated home can sometimes seem intimidating, but it’s really pretty easy. We deliver fuel from the exterior of your home through a fill pipe connected directly into your oil tank. To make it even easier, our computer system calculates when you need a delivery based on a weather metric (degree days) and the efficiency of your heating system.

How does my central AC work?

There are two main components of your central AC system. The outside condenser unit(s) takes heat from inside the home, transfers it through a refrigerant and deposits it outside, leaving the inside cool. The air handler(s), located inside the home, is what circulates the cool air through your home. The air handler also houses your air filter.

Connecticut's Energy Evolution

Connecticut's Energy Evolution

No one can deny the many regulatory and consumer changes we’ve seen after over 100 years in the energy sector. Our focus has always been on taking advantage of new technologies, fuels and methodologies in order to keep us at the forefront of our industry and thus provide the best service to our customers. Here are a few energy hot topics that are just as important for you as they are for us as a business:

Electrification in CT

States across New England, including Connecticut, have their eye on electrification as the solution to meeting federal greenhouse gas mandates in the coming years. They want to incentivize homeowners to replace their oil or gas heating systems with electric heat pumps in order to achieve the ultimate goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. While on the surface, this plan seems straightforward, however there are many reasons for homeowners to be wary:

1. Electric Heat Pumps:

While electric heat pumps have become fairly common as a supplemental heat source over the past decade, they become problematic and extremely inefficient when the temperatures drop below freezing – a frequent occurrence during a New England winter!

2. Electricity Generation:

Currently only 5% of CT’s electricity is generated by renewable energy sources. Increasing this percentage by any substantial amount (80% is the current target being discussed) would not only be extremely costly to ratepayers but risky. There is no guaranteed output from wind and solar. Places like Texas and Germany learned the hard way this winter when they experienced frozen turbines and snow-covered solar panels. It will be many years before electricity can make a valid claim to being truly renewable, causing this shift to be vastly premature.

3. Electric Grid:

It will be no surprise to CT residents that we have the highest average electricity retail price among the lower 48 states. And after most of us were left in the dark for over 8 days last August, there isn’t much faith in the condition of the grid. Putting all of our eggs in the electric basket could be costly and inconvenient for many years to come.

The Strength of BioHeat®

As an industry, we have been working for the past two decades to forge our own path to net-zero emissions. The fuel we deliver today is called BioHeat®, a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil with biodiesel, a domestic, sustainable and renewable energy source. Currently, we deliver a 5 to 7% biodiesel blend to your homes. As an industry, we have committed to increasing that blend to 20% by 2023, 50% by 2030 and to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050!

To further this goal, a coalition of US energy fuel dealers and Midwest farmers have established Project Carbon Freedom to support the mission of advancing liquid biofuels as a solution to quickly, safely and affordably transition the country to a carbon-free way of life.

The economics of moving towards a 100% biodiesel blend have a long reach for many sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, service and transportation. Today, the biodiesel industry supports over 62,000 domestic jobs and billions in paid wages; as biodiesel consumption continues to ramp up, so will the economic benefits.

For consumers, the benefits are two-fold: a transition to higher biodiesel blends can occur with little to no impact on the consumer, and it will not only reduce their carbon footprint but higher levels of biodiesel have been proven to reduce service-related issues in heating equipment.

To learn more about electrification, Project Carbon Freedom and BioHeat®, visit ProjectCarbonFreedom.com

Bioheat Heating Oil: Q&A

Bioheat Heating Oil: Q&A

What is Bioheat?

Bioheat is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating fuel with biodiesel, a domestic, sustainable heating oil replacement.

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a heating oil replacement that is produced from a variety of renewable resources, such as plant oils, animal fats, recycled grease, and even algae, making it one of the most sustainable fuels on the planet. Annually, it generates approximately $16.8 billion dollars for the U.S. economy and creates more than 62,000 jobs.

Where is Bioheat made?

The crops used to create Bioheat are grown in the United States and it is blended right here in Connecticut. The blends currently range from B5 fuel containing 5% plant content to B20, which contains 20%.

Is Bioheat cleaner than natural gas?

Yes! Bioheat is cleaner than natural gas. In a 20 year atmospheric life cycle analysis conducted by Brookhaven National Laboratories, emissions of greenhouse gases from Bioheat blends as low as 1.8% have been proven to be lower than those from natural gas.

Does Bioheat cost more?

No, in fact Bioheat can save you money because it helps your heating equipment run more efficiently, which extends the life of the equipment and can lead to fewer tune-ups.

Do I have Bioheat?

Yes! Gault has been delivering Bioheat for the past 5 years. In fact, almost every gallon of heating fuel delivered in Connecticut is Bioheat with more than 600 companies delivering it locally in the state.

What is the future of Bioheat?

The industry is committed to continually improving the product that we deliver; in fact, today’s heating oil burns 95% cleaner than it did 50 years ago and with drastically reduced sulfur content as well as alternative solutions like biodiesel blends, the product will continue to burn cleaner thus cutting greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, if the U.S. followed Connecticut’s lead and switched to a 5% Bioheat blend, the country would burn approximately 187 million gallons less of regular heating oil. If that were a 20% blend, that number quadruples!

What Our Fuel Is Made Of

What Our Fuel Is Made Of

Bio: For the past 5 years, Gault has been delivering a product called Bioheat, a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating fuel with a bio component called biodiesel. Biodiesel is a heating oil replacement that is produced from a variety of renewable resources, such as plant oils, animal fats, and even algae, making it one of the most sustainable fuels on the planet. Learn more about Bioheat at gaultenergy.com/bioheat.

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

  • It’s Clean – If fact, emissions of greenhouse gases from Bioheat are lower than those from natural gas.

  • It’s Cleansing – Bioheat is a smoother fuel with a high lubricity which means that it cleans your tank and heating system as it burns which helps to extend the life of your equipment.

Ultra-Low Sulfur: Ten years ago, trucks were spewing black soot out of their stacks as they drove down the highway – have you noticed that that doesn’t happen anymore? This is the result of reduced sulfur in the fuel. Just like the auto industry, the heating oil industry has been drastically reducing the sulfur content in our fuel and we are fast approaching a major milestone – in 2018, all heating oil delivered in Connecticut will be mandated to be ultra-low sulfur heating oil.

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

  • It’s Clean – The lower the sulfur content, the less sulfur dioxide your system emits – sulfur dioxide contributes to acid rain and haze.

  • It’s Efficient – Your heating system runs more efficiently which reduces the amount of fuel you use and helps lower the amount of equipment maintenance needed.

Additives: Fuel additives is where many heating oil companies differ when it comes to the quality of fuel they deliver. Before delivering to your home, we mix an additive into our fuel called Avalux, one of the most advanced additives on the market. Avalux helps to stabilize and protect the components of the fuel, especially in cold weather.

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

  • It’s Cleansing – Avalux acts as a detergent that cleans your tank and heating system. It also prevents corrosion and degradation of the fuel which helps to extend the lifetime of your equipment.