Total Energy News and Insights

Do you turn off your thermostat or burner? For many of us turning off your heat is a welcomed break from the cold and the start of warmer weather. When it comes to turning off your heat for the summer there are a few things your should consider before your flip the switch. All oil burning homes will have a emergency oil burner switch in the home, usually found at the top of the stairs that head down to the basement. There is a switch that can be found on the heating system itself that will also turn off your heating system. This can be used as the turn off for the heating season switch, when you're familiar with your home's heating demands. New homeowners who aren't familiar with the way your heating system works shouldn't use this method as a way to turn off your heat for the season.  Many homes use an indirect water heater for the home's hot water, this uses the boiler or furnace's heat to heat your hot water. During the winter months this is essent...

What do you do when it feels like Fall instead of Spring Mother's Day is right around the corner, Memorial day and the unofficial start of Summer is a few weeks ahead. The temps should be getting warmer or at least staying in the 60's, but the next week is going to feel more like Fall than Spring. With night time temps dipping into the high 30's and low 40's I've found myself turning on my heat for an hour or so to get the cold out. Many of us turn off our heating systems for the Spring and Summer once we see temps in the 70's. A few weeks ago we had a 80 degree days and now we'll be lucky to see temps in the 60's. You can turn on your heating system to get the cold out but there are a few other things you can do to combat the colder temps. Keeping the window shades open during the day to let in the sun's natural warmth will help keep your home comfortable. Make sure to close them during the evening to trap the warm air in. If you want t...