For Immediate Release:
September 23, 2003

Contact: Davis Bookhart
202-659-0404

LOW SULFUR HEATING OIL A SUPERIOR PRODUCT
FOR CONSUMERS, NEW CECA STUDY FINDS

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA) released a white paper today that finds that consumers will receive multiple benefits by using low sulfur heating oil in place of traditional heating oil. "CECA finds that a low sulfur fuel is superior to traditional heating oil and will contribute to significant environmental and consumer benefits-both directly and indirectly-and that the slight fuel price premium is more than offset by cost savings associated with longer equipment life, greater fuel stability, and reduced maintenance and cleanings," the report says.

"Because of the multiple benefits of low sulfur oil, we encourage the heating oil industry to adopt low sulfur oil as the industry standard," says Ellen Berman, President of the Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA). "This is a 'win-win-win' situation-not only do consumers benefit, but dealers can save in maintenance costs, and of course it is a much better solution for the environment."

The white paper examines research results from institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory of the Department of Energy, the New York State Research and Development Authority, and the Canadian Energy Technology Center. Compared to regular heating oil, low sulfur oil:

• Reduces sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by up to 80%;
• Reduces particulate matter emissions by up to 80%;
• Reduces nitrogen oxides by 5 - 10%;
• Improves equipment performance and reduces the need for frequent vacuum cleanings; and
• Improves fuel stability.
  

"The irony is that low sulfur heating oil is already available-it is sold across the nation as highway diesel," says CECA Senior Project Director and paper author Davis Bookhart, who also manages the Fuels Program. "There are a handful of companies that sell low sulfur oil to their customers. They tell me that their technicians love it because they are basically servicing clean equipment."

The report is available for free download at www.cecarf.org.

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CECA is the senior public interest organization in the United States focusing on energy policies affect the essential services of consumers. As a leading national resource for policy information and analysis, CECA has three decades of experience building consensus among stakeholders and developing policies that serve the consumer's interest.