Bioheat® Fuel
Buhrmaster’s heating oil is Bioheat® fuel - a clean, green, and renewable fuel that is revolutionizing the American energy industry. With every delivery we make, Buhrmaster customers are reducing their carbon emissions and helping to save the environment.
In 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed New York State Senate Bill S3221A that phases in a biodiesel blending standard for all heating oil sold in New York State. Our first deliveries began in 2023 with a B5 blend: 5 percent renewable biodiesel mixed with ultra-low sulfur heating oil. On July 1, 2025, we began delivering a fuel blend containing 10 percent biodiesel, or B10 Bioheat® fuel, and in 2030, that will increase to a 20 percent blend, or B20.
Bioheat® fuel has many different benefits: it is renewable, it supports the American economy, and it is helping to create a cleaner environment for us to live in, with virtually no emissions. This all adds up to superior home comfort and service for you, the consumer.
A Renewable Energy Source
Bioheat® fuel is made by combining ultra-low sulfur heating oil with biodiesel, which is created from renewable resources such as recycled cooking oils, soybean oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, and other feedstocks. The fats and oils used for biodiesel are all co-products or byproducts of agriculture. This oil can then be used to create biodiesel. Bioheat® fuel burns at a highly efficient rate, and its inclusion of renewable resources ensures a sustainable future for our customers and the greater community.
What This Means for You, the Consumer
Bioheat® fuel makes the process of heating your home cleaner, more efficient, and more convenient than ever before. Bioheat® fuel is extremely versatile. At levels up to B20, it is completely compatible with existing oil burners, furnaces, and tanks, so there are no costly modifications or retrofitting to your current equipment needed. For blends of B50 and B100, minor modifications may be required, but these can usually be managed during a service call or annual tune-up. Most new oil burners, boilers, and furnaces are UL-rated for use with all fuel blends up to B100.
Plus, Bioheat® fuel can actually improve the performance of your system. Because of its high lubricity, Bioheat® fuel may extend equipment life and can help remove harmful components in your heating system, which means less maintenance. Bioheat® fuel is also cost-competitive with conventional oil, so these wonderful benefits don't come at a higher price.
New York State Clean Heating Fuel Credit
Perhaps best of all, New York State will pay you to use Bioheat® fuel, through the Clean Heating Fuel Credit. The state tax credit is for individuals or businesses that “purchased bioheating fuel to be used for space heating or hot water production for residential purposes within New York State.” The credit is equal to one cent for each percent of biodiesel per gallon of fuel purchased before January 1, 2026. It must contain at least 6 percent biodiesel per gallon and the credit will not exceed 20 cents per gallon.
To get the tax credit, log into your My Account Portal to export your delivery and transaction history. This will show you how much fuel you received and at what biofuel blend level, and provide you with access to your past invoices. Learn more about the record keeping needed to claim the tax credit. You can then use this data to complete Form IT-241 (personal) or Form CT-241 (corporate). (Please review all materials with a qualified tax professional.)
Bioheat® Fuel and American Jobs
Resources such as soybean oil and other agricultural co-products are grown in the United States, allowing the fuel to be produced domestically, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil and supports our nation's farmers. In addition to sustaining current jobs, Bioheat® fuel's production and refinement creates new American jobs, and helps strengthen the U.S. economy. According to a recent economic study conducted by MyBioheat.com, one year's biodiesel production can support more than 31,000 U.S. jobs and generate an income of nearly $1.7 billion to be circulated throughout the economy.
Bioheat® Fuel and the Environment
Bioheat® fuel emits virtually 0% sulfur, and dramatically cuts down on the release of other airborne pollutants and greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. The state's transition to B10 is expected to reduce New York's heating oil consumption by 100 million gallons, the equivalent of making 102,000 homes carbon neutral.
Bioheat® fuel produces lower emissions than petroleum diesel, and unlike most fuels, biodiesel actually has a positive energy balance (a ratio of energy needed for biodiesel production to return energy). Recently published studies from the University of Idaho and U.S. Department of Agriculture show that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 5.54 units of renewable energy.
