As we often like to say, economies run on diesel. Whether you’re talking about fleets of vehicles, construction sites, farms or businesses that need backup power, diesel is a virtual necessity.
For decades, Tasha Fuels & Propane has provided diesel delivery to a range of commercial customers on Cape Cod and across Southeastern Massachusetts. We’re here for you if you require fleet fueling, on-site delivery, marine fuel, or some other diesel service.
Our diesel experts also know a thing or two about this fuel’s composition, uses and benefits. Here are five compelling facts about diesel fuel.
Beginning in 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began adjusting the emissions standards for diesel to lower its sulfur content. Today, the diesel used in American vehicles, generators, and other equipment is ultra-low sulfur. Its sulfur content is a mere 15 parts per million (ppm), compared to roughly 5,000 ppm before the EPA regulations. This significantly improves its effect on the environment and air quality. It also slows wear and tear on the equipment that runs on it!
On- and off-road diesel are sold separately but are essentially the same fuel. The difference between them is their color, cost and intended usage.
Gasoline engines have about 20 percent efficiency, so only one-fifth of the gas used in them actually propels the vehicle forward. By contrast, diesel engines have efficiencies of 40 percent and higher. This gives them better mileage than their gasoline-powered counterparts.
In terms of its physical properties, diesel is denser than gasoline. It’s also much less flammable. If you dropped a lit match into a bucket of diesel, it would extinguish. In both vehicles and off-road equipment, diesel must be placed under extreme pressure and heat to combust.
More and more diesel-powered vehicles and equipment are using a blend of traditional diesel (refined from crude oil) and biodiesel. Biodiesel is made from organic and recycled feedstocks like vegetable oils, animal fats and used cooking oil. Biodiesel lowers the emissions impact of these engines. And because biodiesel improves fuel lubricity, it slows wear and tear dramatically.
Our country is producing more every day. In 2002, the United States produced about 10 million gallons of biodiesel. In 2012, that number was 969 million. In 2020, it was 1.8 billion!
Tasha Fuels & Propane is available and ready to handle your commercial fuel needs. Become a customer today.
For nearly 30 years, we’ve provided dependable heating oil delivery from our home base in Falmouth to households throughout the Upper Cape and Southeastern Massachusetts. We’ve seen this home fuel undergo significant advances in that time. Heating oil has always been a fantastic way to warm your living spaces and water. But it’s getting greener and more efficient every year.
What exactly is heating oil? Here are five facts that explain where it comes from and why it’s a superb fuel.
Petroleum-based heating oil (we’ll discuss non-petroleum heating oil later) is nearly identical to off-road diesel. They are both distillates of crude oil that require pressure and intense heat to ignite. And they are both subject to Environmental Protection Agency standards regarding their sulfur content. Today’s heating oil’s sulfur content is only 15 parts per million. This significantly reduces emissions and improves the air we all breathe.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, one gallon of low-sulfur heating oil generates about 138,500 Btu. This is equivalent heat energy to roughly 41 kilowatt-hours of electricity or 135 cubic feet of natural gas.
Bioheat® fuel is one of the most vital tools for home decarbonization today. It is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil and biofuel. Biofuel is a gallon-for-gallon replacement for petroleum, but it’s made from organic and recycled feedstocks like used cooking oil, inedible corn oil, soybeans and animal fats.
Blending biofuel into heating oil significantly lowers carbon, mercury and particulate matter emissions. At a 20% biofuel blend (also called B20), Bioheat fuel becomes cleaner than natural gas.
As heating oil becomes cleaner burning, it also becomes better for your heating system. Today’s product leaves less soot in your equipment. This means you need fewer burner cleanings and less frequent maintenance. Reduced wear and tear means your furnace or boiler will last longer. That’s great news for your bank account!
Heating oil is one of the safest home energy sources around. Unlike natural gas, it will not explode. If you were to drop a lit match into a bucket of heating oil, the flame would extinguish just as if you’d dropped it in water. The fuel only burns if heated up above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and vaporized — which is what your furnace or boiler does!
One significant risk to be aware of is the potential for a tank leak, which can incur costly decontamination measures.
If your home relies on heating oil, the Tasha team has you covered. With our free automatic delivery, you don’t even need to contact us for fuel. We’ll track your heating oil levels using your customer history and weather conditions, then deliver fuel right on time!
As we always say — at Tasha, you aren’t just a number. You’re a neighbor. Join our family of customers today.
For almost 30 years, households on the Upper Cape and throughout Southeastern Massachusetts have counted on us for heating oil and kerosene. But the Tasha team also provides top-tier propane delivery.
Propane is an energy-efficient, clean-burning, American-made fuel that can power many home systems and appliances. But what is propane made of, and how is it different from other fuels?
Here’s a quick primer on all things propane.
Propane is a co-product of natural gas extraction and crude oil refining. Most propane is petroleum-based, but an increasing amount is produced using organic feedstocks.
Virtually all the propane you use is produced domestically. The United States exports more propane than we use. This means that, although propane’s price is not fully insulated from global energy markets, it tends to be more stable than many other fuels. Let’s look at the various ways that propane is made.
In the stabilization stage of refining crude oil, heavier hydrocarbons settle at the bottom and lighter ones, such as propane, rise to the top. Propane can be removed at this point, then repackaged as a separate fuel.
While some propane comes from oil refining, the vast majority comes from natural gas production. Natural gas wells can also extract fuels such as butane, ethane and pentane. By far, the most abundant of these co-products is propane. These co-products must be separated from any liquid compounds during extraction to prevent condensing inside pipelines that carry natural gas.
Renewable propane is a newer energy product, and it’s not widely used. But its production process expands with each passing year.
Renewable propane is molecularly identical to conventional propane, but it’s made from organic and recycled products, including:
These feedstocks are abundant and inexpensive. Indeed, most are what you would consider waste products. The renewable propane production process has a low carbon intensity. Renewable propane is carbon neutral at the point of combustion, adding no new carbon to the atmosphere.
It is understandable that many customers confuse natural gas and propane since they are part of the same production process, function similarly in gas-powered systems and have the same scenting agent added to them. Yet, they are two entirely distinct fuels.
To begin, propane is heavier than natural gas. Under pressure and at a relatively high temperature, it can be compressed into a liquid. This is how it is stored in propane tanks and transported in trucks, trains and portable cylinders. Once pressure is relieved, propane returns to a gaseous form for use in heating systems, water heaters, grills and other household products.
Natural gas is much lighter and comes to homes via a utility pipe system. It’s primarily composed of methane, while propane is methane-free. They also burn with different intensities. Propane produces more than double the heat energy per cubic foot of natural gas!
Do you want to receive the most dependable propane delivery in the region? Contact Tasha Fuels & Propane.
Families and businesses throughout Cape Cod trust Tasha Fuels & Propane for reliable fuel delivery and equipment services. You might have known us as Loud Fuel before. Our name has changed to reflect our proud family-owned, community-focused history. But our commitment to your comfort and safety remains the same!
If you’re unfamiliar with our company and its history, we hope to welcome you to our community of satisfied customers. We have a range of fueling services, delivering propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel, gasoline, and marine fuels. We also install and service heating and cooling equipment.
At Tasha Fuels & Propane, we’re proud to have the most dependable delivery drivers and the most professional technicians around. And our customer service team is second to none! Customers know they can call us any time and speak to a local team member who will answer their questions with a smile.
Along with our new name, we have updated our website. It’s been designed and organized with you in mind. We want it to be intuitive and engaging, so we’ve added some features, including:
Please be sure to bookmark the Tasha Fuels & Propane home page so you can check back in. We will update the website frequently.
Would you like to know more about Tasha’s products and services? Drop us a line. We can’t wait to connect with you.