Biodiesel Heating Pilot

The “Heating with Biodiesel” Pilot is available to help cover costs associated with conversion to biodiesel fuel as well as reduce the cost of biodiesel fuel deliveries. Note that eligibility for the pilot is restricted to customers who are converting their system to biodiesel, and does not include customers already heating with biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a clean burning renewable fuel derived from used vegetable oils produced in the United States. Biodiesel can be used for home heating in blends measured by the amount of biodiesel in a fuel mixed with regular #2 fuel oil. The “Heating with Biodiesel” Pilot offers B99 biodiesel to qualified Vermont homeowners.

Incentives up to $3,000 are available for:

• B99 Biodiesel fuel deliveries ($2 off per gallon of current market price for B99 biodiesel ($/gallon) up to $1,000
• Make-Ready work + inspection to convert existing heating system to accept biodiesel, 100% of costs up to $2,000 needed to convert

Incentives are based on income eligibility. See Eligibility below for qualification details. Customers that have received a prior voucher will receive the prior incentive calculation of one-third (1/3) of current market price for B99 biodiesel ($/gallon) they were originally approved for.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted to the RERC by a participating fuel dealer on behalf of the customer. To apply for the incentive, please contact Bourne’s Energy

In order to offer this income-eligible incentive to residential customers, fuel dealers must submit the SSREIP Biodiesel Incentive Program Participation Agreement

Participating Fuel Dealers are limited at this stage of biodiesel market development. If you see your fuel dealer listed below, contact them for further information or to participate. If you don’t see them listed, you may want to contact them about participating in the program.

Bourne’s Energy 
72 Lower Main Street 
Morrisville, VT 05661 
(800) 326-8763

Eligibility for the pilot is restricted to customers who are converting their system to biodiesel, and does not include customers already heating with biodiesel.

Low- and Moderate Income (≤120% area median income [AMI]) households under the thresholds in the linked chart who are converting to biodiesel are eligible for this incentive:

1. 100% of the costs of the make-ready work needed to convert the heating system to accept biodiesel. These costs may include: replacement of seals, burner replacement, fuel burners or nozzles, filters, tank cleaning, leak detection, and other modifications required for the system to operate appropriately with biodiesel fuel, as well as necessary inspections.
2. Fuel Deliveries will be incentivized at $2 off per gallon of the current market price of B99, up to $1,000. The prior incentive was 1/3 the cost of the delivery up to $1,000
3. If make-ready costs do not exceed $2,000, up to $200 of unused make-ready funds can roll into the fuel delivery incentive, increasing that total maximum benefit to $1,200. 

Income is defined as the total annual gross income of all family and non-family members age 18 years and older living within the household. Opportunities Credit Union will determine annual household income for all members of the household. For each household member, the credit union will collect the person’s name, all sources of income (including both earned and unearned income), total annual income, and required supporting documentation. Acceptable forms of income documentation are:

• The most recent Social Security benefits statement (if Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance, or Supplemental Security Income was received).
• First two pages of the most recent federal tax return (if income tax return was filed).
• Unemployment Benefits Statement from the past 12 months (if unemployment benefits were received).
• Current paystubs with year-to-date wages listed.
• The most recent IRS Schedule C and the following information for each source of self-employment income: type of business, time period, gross income, expenses, depreciation, and net income.
• If the household member received another type of income, a document or documents that confirm the income.

Types of income include, but are not limited to: wages, salary, tips, bonuses or commissions payments, public assistance, social security/SSI, child support, regular gifts, unemployment, income earned on assets (savings, IRA, etc.) and some types of financial aid.

Incentives will be applied to the cost of your heating system inspection and/or B99 Biodiesel fuel deliveries when you work with a participating fuel dealer.

Commercial systems are not eligible.