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...

Who worked hard this winter, shoveling, scraping, and brushing the snow? As the end of January came the real winter weather entered, which as we all know and can't wait to forget brought record snow fall after record snow fall.  The months of February and March were one the snowiest and coldest months that we've seen in awhile. The Blizzard of 2015 dumped a whopping 36 inches in Auburn, MA, 34.5 inches in Worcester and 19 inches in Providence. For Auburn and Worcester these were record setting totals and for Providence it was one of the top 4 snow storms the city has ever seen.  We also a lot of single digit and sub zero day and nights during the February and March thanks to some strong winds.  During this snowy and cold snap our heating systems were working harder to keep us warmer and comfortable. Your heating system had to burn a lot of fuel while doing all that work and if you have an older heating system than it worked harder and burned even more fuel. ...

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, wh...

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...