Kerosene plays an important and often underappreciated role in today’s energy landscape, particularly across New England where cold temperatures can challenge fuel performance. Used for heating, diesel blending, and select transportation and industrial fuel applications, kerosene offers unique properties that make it especially valuable in colder climates.
Understanding when kerosene is beneficial, and which type to use, can help fleet and property managers improve reliability, maintain compliance, and protect equipment year-round.
What Is Kerosene?
Kerosene is a petroleum-based fuel with a lower boiling range than traditional diesel fuel or heating oil. This lower boiling range gives kerosene superior cold weather characteristics, including improved pour point and cloud point. As a result, it remains a reliable fuel option when temperatures drop and other fuels may begin to gel or lose flow.
Depending on the application, kerosene can be used on its own or blended with other fuels to enhance cold weather performance, making it a customizable fuel option.
Dyed vs. Clear Kerosene: Choosing the Right Product
A key consideration when selecting kerosene is whether dyed or clear product is required. Each serves a specific purpose and is subject to different regulations:
- Dyed kerosene is used in tax-exempt applications such as space heating, off-road equipment, and other non-highway uses.
- Clear (undyed) kerosene is used in taxable applications, including highway vehicles or other uses where dyed fuel is prohibited.
Using the correct kerosene product is essential not only for compliance, but also to support proper operation of engines and heating equipment.
Ultra Low Sulfur Kerosene (ULSK): A Cold Weather Advantage
Ultra low sulfur kerosene (ULSK) is widely valued for its performance in cold conditions.
Thanks to its lower boiling range, ULSK offers significantly improved cold flow properties compared to standard diesel fuels. For this reason, it is frequently used as a blend component during the winter months. Splash blending, pouring the kerosene on top into diesel fuel helps reduce the risk of gelling and supports reliable operation in freezing temperatures.
In addition to blending, ultra-low sulfur kerosene (ULSK) is used as an industrial fuel and in municipal transportation fleets, including buses. Its ultra-low sulfur content directly contributes to reduced emissions: with less sulfur present, combustion generates lower levels of sulfur dioxide and sulfur-related particulate matter.
While comparable to ultra-low sulfur diesel in terms of sulfur content, ULSK provides these emissions benefits in applications where kerosene is preferred or required, such as certain fleets, industrial, and cold-weather operations. This positions ULSK as a lower-emissions option among conventional liquid fuels.
As a result, ULSK is well suited for fleets operating in urban environments or in applications subject to stricter emissions requirements.
Low Sulfur Kerosene: Supporting Reliable Heating
Low sulfur kerosene plays an important role in residential and light commercial heating applications. With sulfur content generally around 500 ppm (0.05 wt %), it is commonly blended into home heating oil to improve cold weather properties, particularly pour point and cloud point. This blending strategy is especially beneficial for heating oil delivered to smaller, outdoor storage tanks that are more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. In northern New England, where prolonged cold snaps are common, low sulfur kerosene helps maintain consistent fuel flow and reduce the likelihood of heating disruptions.
Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, fuels with sulfur content above 15 ppm are not classified as ultra low sulfur fuel and therefore cannot be used in on-road diesel applications. As a result, low sulfur kerosene is well suited for space heating and other non-highway uses, while ultra low sulfur kerosene (≤15 ppm sulfur) is required for regulated motor vehicle fuel and winter diesel blending applications.
When Is Kerosene the Right Choice?
Kerosene is especially beneficial in several key scenarios:
- Improving cold weather performance through diesel or heating oil blending
- Supporting space heating and other tax-exempt applications
- Serving as an industrial fuel in cold climates
- Fueling municipal or fleet vehicles for winter operability and lower emissions compared to diesel
- Enhancing reliability for smaller outdoor heating oil storage systems
In many states that see cold weather extremes during the winter, it is common for diesel providers to blend kerosene into their diesel products. This practice ensures the diesel can operate during low temperatures.
A Reliable Partner for Heating and Fuel Solutions
Selecting the right fuel is all about balancing performance, cost, compliance, and reliability. With access to multiple kerosene products, strategic terminal locations, and a deep expertise in cold-weather fuel management, Sprague helps customers determine when kerosene makes sense for their heating or industrial fuel needs and supplies the appropriate tank blends with rack blending available at most of our locations.
Whether you’re preparing for winter operations or evaluating fuel options for year-round use, Sprague’s team is ready to help you find the right solution. Get in touch with our team today.
