Total Energy News and Insights

Get the Equipment you Want for Less If you're in the market for new heating equipment or cooling equipment wouldn't it be great if you could get the equipment for less.  In Massachusetts there is a program call Mass Save that thanks to a small tax in your pay check you can qualify for rebates on heating and cooling equipment, insulation, light bulbs, and appliances. Most heating and cooling equipment is expensive ranging anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000 or more depending on how many you buy. These are necessary purchases to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. So it is important that you consult your heating and cooling company to ensure the system you're getting meets the requirements so you get the maximum rebate. The rebates aren't just there to help out homeowners by reducing the price of the equipment. The rebates are there to help get homeowners to upgrade their existing older equipment to more energy efficient equipment. Newer heating and cooli...

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 to do what to do to stay cool To be honest I started looking around the internet for Central Air units because of the massive heat wave/ heat index rise that has been floating over the Northeast. While I work for a heating and cooling company, I just bought a house that I don't want and can't do major work to, yet. That didn't mean I haven't asked around to figure what is involved. My home doesn't have ductwork as it is a forced hot water boiler heated home. I have baseboards in all the rooms that bring heat to the rooms, meaning that I can't just add central air conditioning to the ductwork in my home. That doesn't mean that I can't add ductwork to the attic of my home to get central ac. There are several different types of AC that you can have installed in your home, which we've talked about here before. Central AC, Mini-Split ductless AC, Window AC, and Portable (not even worth the hassle) each have their own benefits and downfalls. ...

We Could Experience much Warmer Temps this Summer Last year and even the year before that we talked about El Nino and boy did it come, we saw one of the mildest winters this past winter. Now what, El Nino is the warming of the waters in the pacific, but what happens after the water has warmed? After the warm has warmed, it naturally cools off this is called La Nina. Traditionally La Nina follows El Nino's and present the opposite effects of El Nino. Of course La Nina don't always follow El Nino's, in the past we've seen El Nino's that extend into the next winter or La Nina's that extend for several years. For this year most weather outlets are predicting that we'll see a La Nina arrive around Fall or Winter. To understand what we might see this summer we have to look at last year. For 2015 we didn't see the real El Nino until mid fall and it continued through mid winter, but its effects were seen during the summer.  It brought us unseas...

Summer is here and that means BBQ's, Beach trips, vacations, and Air Conditioning bills. It seems that New Englander's can never fully escape extreme weather conditions, except for a couple of weeks in the spring and full where the weather is just perfect. The rest of year is either freezing, snowy, or a thousand degrees and you can eat the air.  It might not be that bad but we do put a lot of effort and money into staying comfortable.  Now that it is officially summer we thought it would be perfect to outline some helpful energy tips. While we've had a couple of days in the mid 80's, we have been lucky that we haven't seen any days in the 90's yet.  This has made so I haven't needed to put in my windowed ac units yet. Were there some nights that I could have used them, yes, but they weren't needed. I know that people have already put there's in and this brings me to our first tip.  Size is important when choosing any type of AC. Modern window u...

Summer sun and Air Conditioning  Summer means beaches,  barbecues, and hot summer days. While us New Englanders can't wait for the brutally cold winters to come to an end and the warm summer air. That summer sun means turning on the AC and fearing the electric bill. How do you beat the heat without breaking the bank? Heading to the beach for a swim and a day by the beach is always an option. Pools are great for cooling off but the pump and a heater will also increase your electric use. Here are some tips for saving energy this summer without increasing your electricity demand too much. First when you should and shouldn't use a standing or ceiling fan. Fans can circulate the air out of a room, fans will only cool people. The cooling effect that is felt from a fan is from the wind chill that is created. You should only use a fan while someone is in the room.  Those of you that are lucky to have central air throughout the home or have mini-split air condi...

Home Comfort starts with the right equipment for your needs and your home. What does it mean to have home comfort, we'll be talking about how to achieve this through your heating and cooling equipment.  Home comfort from an energy standpoint should be viewed through this question, are you comfortable in your home all year around? If you're warm enough in the winter time but maybe paying more than you think you should you're not comfortable. Choosing to sweat in the summer instead off turning on the AC because of the electric bill is a perfect example of not having home comfort in more ways than one. So how can you be comfortable during the winter and summer without breaking the bank, first look at how old your equipment is. If your heating system is more than 20 years old you should consider a new boiler or furnace. Air conditioning systems that are 7 years or older should be replaced. Mini-split air conditioners are much more energy efficient than window units and o...