March 2008 Feature
Retailers, Service Managers Trumpet Benefits of Fuel Treatment

Fuel treatment has come a long way in recent years. Once viewed by many as “snake oil,” additives are now seen by many as an essential component of fuel delivery.

Oil & Energy recently reached out to nine oil companies that treat their fuel, and many of them offered strong testimonials about how additives have reduced their fuel-related service calls and helped them build customer confidence.

Sono Energy, Norwalk, Conn.
Owner Gil Gonzalez treats his fuel with Technol Fuel Conditioners' 246 Super Sludge Dispersant and STR-2+ Fuel Oil Conditioner, applied directly to customers' tanks. "We have an account in Stamford that used to have a bad, bad sludge problem. Ever since we picked the account up and treated the tank, there have been no instances where the sludge reappeared," he said.

Sono treats tanks at the beginning of the season and then on every other fill, and his customers have started to notice that they don't have service calls as often as they used to. "We really advertise the product and market it as premium heating oil. It's on our logo," Gonzalez said. "If it saves me one service call, it's paying for itself."