Heating Oil Facts

• Heating oil contains over 135,000 BTU’s per gallon.
• Heating oil comes from the refining of crude oil. It is produced along with gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene and diesel fuel.
• Heating oil is champagne colored after it is refined. It is dyed red so that the product is distinguished from diesel fuel for tax purposes.
• Heating oil is safe and must be vaporized in order to ignite. A lit match would go out if it were dropped into a pool of heating oil.
• Today’s heating oil contains about 95% less sulfur than in 1970. Also, heating oil equipment is up to 20% more efficient that equipment 20 years ago.