Kerosene price vs diesel

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 4, 2012

I have been buying kerosene lately to keep the oil burner going until I get the replacement wood boiler hooked up. The price has consistently been $4.19. Diesel at the same station is $3.95. I was under the impression that the diesel had road tax included in the price and the kerosene did not, so I can't figure out why the diesel is cheaper unless it it a frequency of demand type of thing. Any insight will be much appreciated.
Zach

Leroy · Aug 4, 2012

Kerosine as far as I know is more refined.

wisbaker · Aug 4, 2012

Diesel is not quite as refined of a product, or to put it another way kerosene is a better product. BTW the federal road tax on diesel is $.248/gallon state tax of course varies with the state. That and diesel and gasoline prices are a little more competitive. How many other stations in you market area are selling kerosene verses the number selling diesel? If I don't have to compete for customers I can hold a higher margin.

Zachary Hoyt · Aug 4, 2012

Thanks, that helps. Several stations have kerosene in the general area, prices run about the same.
Zach

Harold H · Aug 4, 2012

I always heard that diesel; was more refined than kerosene. Except for additives and low sulpher, you get; kerosene, then diesel, and then jet fuel, each being slightly more refined but basicly the same, as oil folks have told me. Supply & demand, additives, and politics dictate the price.

Harold H

MarkB_MI · Aug 4, 2012

The same station that sells hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel may sell only a few hundred gallons of kerosene. And only a handful of stations sell kerosene at all. That makes kerosene a low-volume product, the dealer has charge more to make money. Plus there's not much competition to drive costs down.

Won't your oil furnace burn #2 diesel? Most oil furnaces sold in the past 30 years burn #2. Check the data plate.

JDseller · Aug 4, 2012

Harold you have been misinformed. When oil is refined Diesel comes off first then Kerosene then Gas. There also are differences in BTU per gallon.

Gas (winter blend) 114,000 btu per gallon

Kerosene/ K-1 128,100 btu per gallon

Diesel 129,500 btu per gallon.

36 Coupe · Aug 4, 2012

You can use off road diesel in a gun type furnace.Most dealers want 100 gallons minimum for home delivery.Many people do not have 350 bucks on hand so they haul off road diesel home in 5 gallon cans for heating.Oil trucks only deliver on certain days here so keeping warm is a problem in rural areas.You can use kerosene but you are wasting money

Red Mud · Aug 4, 2012

A little more refining and the kerosene is called jet-A, I burned jet A for several years in my 82 GMC 6.2. Check the airports and you mght find jet A cheaper than diesel or kerosene.
http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity jet fuel

Tony in Mass. · Aug 4, 2012

When I had diesels, I used kerosene in the winter, cause the plain diesel wouldn't flow.
Now, I am storing home heating oil in an unheated garage, and without mixing kerosene, it won't flow below 25-30F. If it didn't get that cold, we wouldn't need a furnace right? That is much worst that a truck or tractor waxing up.
Around here kerosene is 20 or 30 cents less than road diesel, and 20 or 30 cents more that #2 home heating oil, but if you need it, you need it.
Hess is the only drive up kero retail pumps... with a 3 foot hose!!! They want you filling your jugs on the ground, not directly in a vehicle...why????

kendak · Aug 4, 2012

what the heck do you do with a furnace this time of the year ??...yesterday it was 101 with 89% humity = index 115...location Miss. delta

36 Coupe · Aug 5, 2012

There have been problems with filling gasoline cans in pickup beds with plastic liners.Containers can pick up a static charge and explode.Saw a tv piece of a truck catching fire while cans were being filled.Most pumps here have a warning about filling cans in truck beds.Having the public pump their own gas is stupid and illegal in some states.Ive told my wife to buy gas where is pumped by station help or I will pump it when Im with her.Saw a woman fill a 2 gallon jug with gas at the general store and put it in the back seat of her car.A fool on this forum hauls 5 gallon cans of gas inside his van.He thinks its ok.Ive pumped gasoline since the mid 50s.dangerous work.

Morris Krodle · Aug 5, 2012

Having worked for over 23 years in the fuel business, I learned that Jet-A, Kerosene, and Number 1 diesel are the very same product, the only difference is how you market it.

hintocw · Aug 5, 2012

I'm afraid you're mistaken, gasolene comes off first in the refining process, it is called a "light distallent") Back in the early days of oil refining, gasolene was thrown away (when there was no use for it), also a certain amount of gasolene occurred naturally.

MNGB · Aug 5, 2012

(quoted from post at 06:41:33 08/05/12) Having worked for over 23 years in the fuel business, I learned that Jet-A, Kerosene, and Number 1 diesel are the very same product, the only difference is how you market it.

This is absolutely wrong they are no way the same product, Jet A is commonly refered to as Q grade kerosene Kerosene is refered to as K1 and #1 diesel is just that next comes #2 diesel all are as different as gasoline is from them.
GB in MN

Old Roy · Aug 5, 2012

Then why couldn't I load Kerosene or # 1 heating oil when Texaco was pumping "Jet fuel" to the Greater Pittsburgh airport from Coraoplis Terminal ?I know they had a direct line to airport.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 7, 2012

You've got to be cateful when using the different products.

Aviation fuels tend to burn hotter in ground equipment and can damage an engine not specifically designed for it. AvGas is the one to be most careful of. Race Car - probably OK - passenger car - No

Jet Fuel while closer to kerosene is still different with diffierent additives and properties. JP4 vs JP5 and JetA vs JetB all have different specific gravities and in some jets require you to adjust the fuel delivery system.

#2 fuel oil and #2 Diesel are very close and in Older tractors are some what interchangable. Fuel Oil smokes more and gels faster in the cold. Many homes use Diesel and don't even know it - it's easier for the dealor to use Diesel for everything than seperate tanks.

Kero is tends to burn hotter so you have to becareful you don't overheat/burn something up like and exaust valve.

And perhaps the biggest issue is lubricating the Inj pump

Know the product and when it's ok to use

Kerosene price vs diesel

Zachary Hoyt

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Leroy

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wisbaker

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Zachary Hoyt

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Harold H

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MarkB_MI

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JDseller

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36 Coupe

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Red Mud

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Tony in Mass.

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kendak

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36 Coupe

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Morris Krodle

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hintocw

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Old Roy

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Anonymous-0

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