If you drive a vehicle with a diesel engine, you may notice that most retail station sites now offer Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) as required by the Environmental Protection Agency. In June, refineries across the United States were required to start manufacturing the further refined diesel product and offer it to consumers. In fact, 2007 model vehicles will require the new ULSD fuel that has less than 15 ppm of sulfur. So how does that affect your heating oil? It's a great deal for homeowners!

All five refiners in Washington State have already begun producing the ULSD product and only one is still producing the LSD (500 ppm of sulfur) for off road and heating oil purposes. But there will be limited supply of it in the state, so most likely the heating oil your dealer will supply to you will be ULSD.

The major benefit to heating oil customers is the reduced emissions from your heating oil furnace to the environment. EPA and other participating agencies have completed tests and demonstration programs showing that using the advanced emissions control devices enabled by the use of ULSD fuel reduces emissions of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen (precursors of ozone), as well as particulate matter to near-zero levels.

If you have any other questions or inquiries about ULSD, feel free to contact your heating oil dealer or check out www.clean-diesel.org.