Low-Sulfur Fuel Oil Rules go into Effect in Vermont, Connecticut

Vermont and Connecticut are under new rules for heating oil as of July 1.

The new rules limit sulfur to 500 parts per million, down from 20,000 PPM in Vermont and 3,000 PPM in Connecticut.

Both states will further slash sulfur content to jus 15 PPM in 2018.

The move is being praised by environmental groups, and marketers will likely see fewer maintenance calls with the reduced soot and scaling.

According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the move will keep 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide from the air.

Vermont is offering $7 million in efficiency grants for homeowners moving to more efficient boilers or upgrading their existing equipment for higher efficiency.