06:23 PM CDT on Thursday, May 18, 2006

Watch Jeff Lea’s report

(KMOV) - If you don't have faith in the oil companies or congress to cut high gas prices, than you might find hope and savings with biodiesel.

KMOV

News 4 found an Illinois man who is driving for cheap on restaurant leftovers.

You can't blame Dayton Keyes for feeling better than most of us these days. He drives more than 500 miles a week between his capitol police job in Springfield and his home in Maroa just north of Decatur.

And he's paying only 70 cents a gallon, while his neighbors are paying market rate.

Instead of filling up at the nearest station, he fuels up in his own garage with his own biodiesel blend made with used cooking oil.

Restaurants are giving him the stuff for free.

He has his own homemade biodiesel reactor, a McGuyver-like setup of PVC pipes, gauges, plastic tanks, switches and a hot water heater.

He produces 28 to 30 gallons of fuel a week.

Dayton is a self-made follower of the biodiesel trend.

He credits an expert who wrote the biodiesel homebrew guide.

KMOV

But biodiesel involves some dangerous chemicals.

The most expensive ingredient is methanol, which is used in the reactor process to take out what can't be burned.

Dayton makes weekly trips to a supplier and pumps it himself.

Cheap, but you do have to own a diesel engine. This is a Volkswagen Golf. He says no major modifications are needed.

There's no effect on performance.

And there's far less pollution with biodiesel.

Dayton Keyes said he would like to expand on his garage experiment eventually building a biodiesel plant here in central Illinois and giving more people access to this cheap fuel.

That following is already growing, with every penny more that drivers are paying to fill up their cars the traditional way.

Biodiesel has it's own industry trade group based in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Biodiesel.org

Department of Energy Alternative fuels page

Alternative Fuel Station Locato r