Skip to main content

Preparing for Winter

Last year's winter is still fresh in our minds, and this year wouldn't be better.

We all remember how cold, long, and miserable last year's winter was.  With several weeks hovering near zero degrees with days of brutal winds and of course the normal amount of snow. With cold temperatures lasting into March and April it seemed that we would never see the warmth of Spring and Summer.  Now here we are in September with morning temps in the 50's and high's only reaching the mid 70's, reminding us that Winter is right around the corner.

A lot about this Winter has focused on the possibility of an El Nino happening, reports have varied in the chance of it happening and the severity.  Most recent reports are saying that we're going to have 60-65% chance of a weak El Nino toward the end of 2014. What that means is that we're expecting to have a winter as cold and snowy or worse than last years winter.

That means another winter of high energy bills, whether its from Natural Gas, Propane, or Oil. There are somethings that you can do now to help combat against the winter cold to keep your home warmer and use less energy this winter.

First while Mass Save continues to accept rebates on heating equipment, now is the best time to have your heating system upgraded to a more energy efficient newer model.  New Oil boilers or furnaces use less fuel while producing the same or more energy. 

Next is having your home properly insulated, insulation not only keeps the cold from getting into your home through the walls and the attic but it also prevents against heat escaping.  Keeping the heat that you paid to produce in your home longer makes your heating system work less.  Insulating exterior walls is important but it most important to have your attic properly insulated as heat rises.

Closing off drafts caused by door and window cracks is another great way to reduce the amount of heat that is lost and the amount of cold that enters into your home.  This can be achieved by either updating your windows to energy star qualified models or by placing draft blockers on the bottom of doors.

As we start to get use to the idea of another cold winter, it'll help to look into this money ventures to help lower your long term energy use during the winter months.  Some of this will even help you save energy during the summer too!

by Robert Stahelski

ckSmithSuperior Santoro Oil Gas Doctor

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Being More Energy Efficient in the New Year

What is your New Year's Resolution? Many of us make resolutions to lose weight, get that promotion at work, find our soul mate, or to save or spend less money in the New Year. If your resolution is the later a great place to start is your home. Some of these suggestions might involve an up front cost but will save you money over several years. There are many appliances, devices, and products that we use on a daily basis in our home that could be eating up your money. From your water heater, to your heating system, light bulbs, tv's, and other electrical devices. Water heaters are a great place to start, with a lifespan of 7-9 on average and taking up 25% of your home's energy consumption, an update could help to reduce your monthly bills.  When looking for a new water heater it is important to take in consideration your needs or demands for hot water. How many people are in your home, what type of fuel source do you have in your home, how your want your water to ...

The C-Wire

Smart Thermostats almost always require them. The internet of things is on the rise and one of the easiest and most useful applications of this is the smart thermostat. Popular smart thermostats that come to mind at the Nest, Ecobee, and the Honeywell Lyric most of these and other smart thermostats that come with WiFi. Installing these thermostats can be tricky due to the C-Wire or Common Wire. For thermostat installations you need to have a set of wires that run from your heating and/or cooling system to your thermostat(s). In instances where you just have a boiler or furnace without the ability to cool you see a thermostat with just two wires, red and white. If you have a cooling system with your heating system you'll most commonly find the thermostats using 4 wires. If you add a smart thermostat you're going to need a fifth wire, the c-wire. C-wires help delivery more power to the thermostat to power the Wi-Fi functions. Adding this wire can be difficult as it requ...

Boiler vs Furnace: What do I have?

Boilers use Water while Furnaces use Air to Heat Homes. When the cold air hits and the familiar sound of the heating system isn't heard, it's time to have your heating system looked at and possibly replaced.  A common issue that comes about is what kind of heating system do I have, a boiler or a furnaces and what is the difference? Well there is a big difference between the two, first is the efficiency and how the each equipment heats the home. Boilers use water or steam, while furnaces use air to heat the home. This is where the terms forced hot air or forced hot water come from, as the system will force heated water through base boards or radiators or heated air through duct work. Boilers traditionally are more energy efficient than furnaces due to the delivery of the heated source.  There is a lower amount of energy loss from piping involved with a boiler than the duct work that is required for a furnace.  The energy energy rating fo...