Switch to the cleanest heating fuel possible

Starting this year, New York City law requires buildings that burn heavily polluting heating oil, called No. 6, to switch to a cleaner fuel such as No. 4 oil, No. 2 oil, biodiesel or natural gas. Buildings burning No. 4 oil will have to switch to the cleanest fuel possible upon boiler or burner replacement and no later than 2030. Though switching to No. 4 heating oil might seem like the easiest option, No. 4 oil is still highly polluting. And, in fact, switching straight to the cleaner No. 2 heating oil has several advantages. First, you only have to switch fuel once. Second, unlike No. 2 oil, No. 4 deposits layers of soot in your boiler tubes which decreases efficiency, leads to more gallons burned and increased maintenance costs. Third, in October, the price difference between No. 4 oil and No. 2 oil is predicted to be less than 10 cents per gallon due to city and state laws mandating decreased sulfur content in both. And finally, if you choose to add biodiesel, a renewable fuel, to No. 2 heating oil, you may be eligible for a New York State tax credit (a biodiesel blend may be a good choice for some buildings but consult your burner manufacturer or NYC Clean Heat to confirm). It is true that capital costs for buildings converting to No. 2 oil can be higher when the existing oil tank needs to be replaced. However, in the long run, the benefits of switching to No. 2 oil could still be better for your building. NYC Clean Heat can guide your building through the conversion process and assist with evaluating conversion options and assembling financing. To learn more about conversions to No. 2 oil and read a case study, see edf.org/cleanheat. Contact NYC Clean Heat To learn more, dial 311 and ask for NYC Clean Heat. To reach the NYC Clean Heat technical director to discuss converting your building, call 212-656-9202 or [email protected]. Isabelle Silverman is an attorney at Environmental Defense Fund, New York, N.Y.