What Does ULSHO Stand For? Why Does It Matter To Me?

One of the most important ways to reduce our impact on the environment is to make smart, conscientious choices about the way we heat our homes; the good news is that when you become a W.H. Riley & Son heating oil customer, you will be doing just that.

That’s because every gallon of Bioheat® heating oil we deliver in our Northern RI and Southern MA service area is blended with ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) with a sulfur concentration of 15 ppm (parts per million) or less – down from the 500 ppm mandate established in 2014 (it was 3,000 ppm before that).

Behind The Numbers

So what do all those numbers mean to you, and to the planet?

Well, in one sense, those numbers mean nothing at all, because you won’t have to make any changes to your heating equipment to enjoy ULSHO’s many benefits. But in other ways, the decrease in sulfur in your fuel means a lot, since it improves efficiency and reduces the amount of heating maintenance your equipment will need over the course of its lifetime.

As for the environment, how about these facts: ULSHO cuts out 99 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions (one of the leading contributors to acid rain and smog), 97 percent of airborne emissions, and 30 percent of NOx emissions compared to regular heating oil.* ULSHO also produces 90 percent less ash* and 40 times less soot** than regular heating oil, making the improved fuel a cleaner option than natural gas!

Do your part for the Earth by refilling your tank with ULSHO-blended Bioheat® from W.H. Riley & Son. Contact us today to schedule your heating oil delivery, or to become a W.H. Riley & Son customer!

W.H. Riley & Son – Proudly serving our southeastern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island neighbors since 1873!

*Brookhaven National Laboratory
**Oil Heat Manufacturer’s Association