Heating oil has a bit of a bad reputation. And yet, nearly 40 percent of Connecticut homes use heating oil to stay warm. That’s because heating oil is better at generating heat and keeping your home warm, particularly through a cold, damp northeast winter. Other fuels just don’t provide the same heating energy.
So what is heating oil —and why does it perform so well?
Heating oil is a refined form of crude oil which comes from deep wells both on land and offshore. One of the biggest changes in heating oil in recent years has been the development of ultra-low sulfur heating oil. In fact, all the heating oil delivered in the northeast is ultra-low sulfur heating oil. Ultra-low sulfur heating oil is cleaner—and cleaner-burning—than “regular” heating oil. And biofuels take it a step further. Bioheat fuel is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) and biofuels. Biofuels are made from renewable resources such as animal fats, recycled restaurant oils and plant oils such as soybean. Every gallon of heating oil Marandola delivers is B5 Bioheat, an even cleaner and more environmentally friendly form of heating oil.
When ULSHO is mixed with biofuels, it creates a cleaner-burning heating fuel that emits up to 80% less sulfur dioxide as well as 20% less carbon dioxide than traditional heating oils. Fewer greenhouse gases mean cleaner air and a more sustainable future for everyone!
Because Bioheat fuel burns cleaner, it leaves fewer deposits in your heating system, which reduces wear on parts and saves you costs on repairs. Also, when your heating system runs more efficiently, it will save you money on energy costs. And you don’t have to replace, alter, or add to your home’s heating system to use Bioheat fuel.
The heating oil industry is working towards making B50 Bioheat fuel, which is made with 50% biofuels, the standard by 2030. It’s part of the efforts the industry is taking to reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
ULS and bio-blend heating oil provides all the benefits of traditional heating oil – and many more. One of the key benefits of heating oil is that it has a higher BTU output per gallon. That means it will warm up your home faster than other types of fuels. Higher BTUs also means you’ll use your heating oil supply more slowly than, say, propane. That means you will pay less to heat your house with heating oil, even if the per-gallon cost of propane is less.
ULS heating oil is incredibly safe. It doesn’t ignite at room temperature, and is nonflammable in liquid form. In order to burn, it must be heated to 114° and vaporized via the combustion process.
If you heat your home with oil, you need a company you can count on for reliable heating oil delivery service. That inherently means offering fair, transparent pricing, but it also means offering true reliability. That’s what families and businesses in Litchfield County and beyond know they get from Marandola. They count on us for every-day needs and convenient services like automatic delivery (so you never have to think about calling for fuel) and budget friendly payment options that take the sting out of winter bills.
Contact us today and let us know how we can help you!
It’s frustrating that government officials in our state have virtually ignored the fact that both clean-burning propane and renewable Bioheat® fuel represent a low-carbon fuel alternative, producing far fewer emissions right now than an equivalent amount of electricity generated from the U.S. grid.
But instead of embracing these practical, proven and popular heating fuel options, those in government have primarily focused on supporting conversions to electric heat pumps. However, studies have shown that installing an electric heat pump can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000!
Plus, these rapid, mass-scale conversions to heat pumps will put a tremendous new strain on our fragile electric grid, which isn’t close to ready to handle such a heavy load. There is a well-justified fear that there will be rolling blackouts during extreme cold or oppressive heat — not to mention sky-high electric bills!
We encourage you to tell your elected officials in Hartford to slow down and come up with a smarter, more balanced energy plan for Connecticut.
Let us know what you think about this!
We’re committed to doing our part to lower emissions and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. One of the most important things we have done is to embrace Bioheat fuel. This is a big step forward in immediately reducing our country’s greenhouse gas emissions without the huge costs associated with converting homes and businesses to electric heat pumps.
Not only do heating systems burn fuel more efficiently with our Bioheat fuel, they also last longer and require fewer repairs. No system modifications are necessary.
The end game is to transition to B100 Bioheat fuel (100% biofuel, 0% petroleum).
We’re seeing important progress in this direction. Shortly after the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) updated its standards to include burners that use B100 Bioheat fuel, the R.W. Beckett Corporation announced that it had begun production of fully warranted burners with B100-compliant components. Beckett is the country’s largest producer of heating oil burners.
Additionally, the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) has demonstrated that a home heated with 100% biofuel and using solar panels to produce electricity can reach net-zero carbon emissions quickly — and at an economically viable cost.
All of this is exciting news for everyone who appreciates the many benefits of using heating oil to stay safe and warm, but wants to do their part to preserve our environment.
We have a proven way to make heating your home less stressful—and it won’t cost you a penny! We call it the Monthly Budget Pay plan.
After we estimate your total bill for the coming year, we’ll split that total into even monthly payments throughout the year. Instead of facing huge bills during the coldest part of winter, you’ll pay much lower, more predictable bills throughout the year. There is no cost to enroll!
For more convenience, choose our paperless billing option. Rather than our driver giving you a printed delivery invoice, we’ll send you a statement by email. No more misplaced invoices and less paper clutter!
Many of our customers have also signed up for Auto Pay. This option allows you to make automatic payments through your bank or credit card. You’ll save on checks and stamps, and you’ll get peace of mind knowing that your payment will always arrive on time.
Please call us or contact us today about our payment programs so we can get you set up before the cold weather arrives.
Here are some ways to make this heating season a little easier—while saving you money along the way.
Here’s what you can do to help make sure that your heating fuel delivery can be made as efficiently as possible during the winter months.
Our drivers thank you in advance!
Don’t wait until the first frost: A few easy preparations now can pave the way for a warm and comfortable winter.
When it comes to staying warm and comfortable this winter, trust the pros at Marandola: We have the knowledge, experience and resources to answer all your questions about keeping your family warm while managing heating costs. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
If you’re heading into the fall wondering whether your furnace or boiler will last through the winter, it’s a good indication that you should consider replacing it. But even a boiler or furnace that’s had the best care and regular tune-ups will eventually need to be replaced. And while replacing a boiler or furnace isn’t usually a complicated job, in winter it can be more of a hassle.
Here are 3 important signs you should consider replacing your furnace or boiler before the cold weather kicks in.
If your heating equipment gave you more trouble than normal last winter, or if it’s been breaking down more often over the past few seasons, it’s a strong indication that it’s hitting the end of its lifespan.
If your heating system struggles to maintain a consistent temperature throughout your home, it’s another sign that it may be time to replace it. You may find that some rooms never get warm, while others are too hot. You might also notice that your energy bills are steadily climbing despite your efforts to conserve energy. That’s because it uses more fuel as it struggles to keep your home comfortable. In addition, the colder it gets, the harder your system has to work to keep up.
No heating system lasts forever. With good care and maintenance, it will do a great job for about 12 years, but after that you’ll see more breakdowns and reduced efficiency. If you aren’t sure how old your heating system is, you can check the metal identification plate on your furnace or boiler for the serial and model numbers of your heater; send us the info and we can tell you the date of manufacture. If your heating system is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing it.
A new furnace or boiler is a significant investment for your home. That’s why you should talk to the team at Marandola. The technology behind high-efficiency heating systems has likely come a long way since the last time you had to shop for heating equipment, we will answer all your questions and help make sure you get the right system not the most expensive one. You will find that a new system that keeps your home consistently comfortable while using fuel more efficiently will result in long-term savings on energy costs.
To protect your investment, we recommend a service plan: Like health insurance for your furnace or boiler, it provides preventive care to keep your equipment running better, longer, and helps cover costs when breakdowns do happen. It will also keep it running at peak efficiency, keeping heating costs down.
Whether you’re looking to replace your heating equipment before winter, or you want a tune-up to keep your equipment humming along, contact us today.
When it comes to keeping your home warm and cozy through a southern New England winter, heating oil is a safe and efficient option. Even after last year’s relatively mild season, the cold here feels raw and damp. Other fuels just don’t provide the same heating energy. And, what you may not know is that the development of ultra-low sulfur heating oil and bioheat blends have turned heating oil’s bad reputation on its head.
On its own ultra-low sulfur heating oil burns more cleanly than traditional heating oil. When it’s mixed with biofuels, like the B5 Bioheat fuel we deliver, the result is a cleaner-burning heating fuel that emits up to 80% less sulfur dioxide as well as 20% less carbon dioxide than traditional heating oils. Fewer greenhouse gases mean cleaner air and a more sustainable future for everyone!
When it comes to getting heating oil deliveries for your home, we know you have options. You can choose a company based on price alone, or you can opt for a locally based full-service company like Marandola. There’s a reason we’ve been around, serving Litchfield County for more almost 30 years. It starts with dependability and a commitment to providing you service that exceeds expectations every day.
If you have a problem, we’ll be here when you call and ready to fix it. And we stand behind our work: We invest in training to ensure our technicians are fully certified to work on all makes and models of equipment.
But it’s not just about breakdowns and emergencies: You can count on us for every-day needs and convenient services like automatic delivery (so you never have to think about calling for fuel) and budget friendly payment options that take the sting out of winter bills.
Contact us today and let us know how we can help you!
One of the best things you can do right now to save money next winter is to schedule a tune-up on your furnace or boiler. A professional tune-up from our expert heating service technician ensures that your system will run at peak efficiency, saving you money on heat. This annual maintenance service is also our chance to correct any small problems, such as worn parts, before they cause you an expensive breakdown.
Why now? Our service schedule fills up rapidly in the fall, when the cooler weather makes everyone start paying attention again to their heating system. Fall storms and early cold snaps cause further complications because sometimes we have to cancel scheduled tune-up appointments so that we can respond to no-heat emergencies.
If you’re enrolled in our Heating Oil Service Plan, the cost of your tune-up is included in your coverage. Besides a tune-up, a service plan will also save money with its comprehensive repair coverage. The savings from one repair call could be more than the cost of the annual plan.
You can also rest easy with our promise of priority service for all service plan customers should you ever have a no-heat emergency.
Contact us today to schedule a heating tune-up and read more about our service plan coverage.
Many of our customers told us that switching to our Monthly Budget Plan has taken away a lot of worry about big delivery payments. Here’s why.
Rather than paying in full every time you get a delivery, our monthly payment plan, which begins in July, spreads your payments throughout the year. This lets you effectively cut your winter fuel payments in half! There is absolutely no cost to enroll.
To make it even easier, ask us to set up automatic payments with your credit card. You’ll save on checks and stamps, and you’ll get peace of mind knowing that your payment will always arrive on time. To reduce paper clutter further, we can also start sending your billing statements via email.
Switch to Auto Pay and/or E-Billing for the first time and we’ll give you a $20 credit when you enroll by August 1, 2023.
Questions? Please get in touch with us today.