Shipley Energy unveils new eco-conscious fuel division

A new division of the York-based Shipley Energy launched on Thursday and will invest in certified green energy projects for each gallon of heating oil or propane it sells.

Harmony Fuels, Shipley’s newest venture, promises to offset the carbon emitted from using their heating oil and propane products by allowing customers to choose the investments the company makes in projects like methane recapturing and solar energy.

The strategy is expected to appeal to environmentally conscious customers, who receive information from Harmony regarding the projects their money helped to fund, according to Steven Downey, president of the new division.

“Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact they have on the environment and they want to be responsible,” Downey said in a press release. “Shipley Energy has always demonstrated a commitment to being good environmental stewards by implementing technologies and products that help reduce carbon emissions. With the launch of Harmony Fuels, we are excited to offer our customers a carbon neutral option as a step toward reducing our collective carbon footprint in an effort to mitigate climate change.”

The company looks to begin its services throughout the northeast United States, noting in the press release that it will be selling from Maryland to Maine.

“More than 56 billion pounds of carbon is produced each winter by homes using heating oil in the northeast,” Downey said. “It can be overwhelming. The cost of replacing oil and propane furnaces in 12 million homes is astronomical and unrealistic. People wonder what they can do.”

The carbon emissions offsetting paid for by the product sold by Harmony will keep said products carbon neutral, according to Downey.

“We believe strongly that it will take many solutions and continued innovation to address this crisis and a service like Harmony Fuels provides consumers a way to start making an impact today,” he said.

Harmony’s products will be shipped to customers by the existing delivery partners of SmartTouch Energy, another Shipley company based in York. The company expects the increase of deliveries through these partners will reduce their delivery cost and lower the cost of fuel for the customer.

Shipley also operates brands such as Sauder Fuel and Solar Secured Solutions. The company added Seth Energy, a provider of heating and air conditioning services in Lancaster and Chester counties, to its portfolio last year.