Discounts on Heating Oil Prices for Senior Citizens in Hickory, NC

Posted: Feb 24, 2013
Author: Bumgarner Oil

Before we talk about discounts on heating oil prices, let’s briefly discuss what heating oil is and what its uses are. First, it is a petroleum product used by many Americans to heat their homes. When crude oil arrives at refineries, it is separated into various fuels, including diesel, kerosene (jet fuel), gasoline, heating oil, and lubricating oil.

Diesel and heating oil are closely related products known as distillates. The significant difference between the two is that heating oil is permitted to have more sulfur in it than diesel fuel, although some states have started to reduce the sulfur level in heating oil.

In 2006, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reduced the permissible level of sulfur by 97 percent in highway diesel fuel as part of an initiative to reduce emissions from buses and trucks. That same standard is presently being phased in for diesel fuel by non-road engines in farming, logging, mining and construction equipment, as well as commercial marine vessels and locomotives.

From every 42-gallon barrel of crude oil, about 12 gallons of distillate is produced. Of these 12 gallons, less than two gallons is heating oil – the remainder is diesel fuel. It is more expensive to produce diesel fuel than heating oil because additional processing is required to remove sulfur.

Heating oil prices have historically fluctuated from month to month and year to year. Typically, they rise in winter when heating demands are high. So now, back to the beginning – how can senior citizens in Hickory get a discount on their heating oil prices? Well, the answer is simple: visit bumgarneroil.com to find out!