Total Energy News and Insights

Looks like we have some nice weather to look forward to. source: www.WeatherChannel.com Raise your hand if your tired of the snow...okay everyone's hands are up.  From January 26th to February 21 everyone here in the Northeast got a weekly blast of snow with February 23 being the first Monday without snow in three weeks. With foot plus snow storm after foot plus snow storm and continuous sub freezing temperatures, we've had little time or help from mother nature to dig ourselves out from a record setting winter. Currently the weather channel is predicting that everyone here in New England will see an above average March, April, and May for temperature.  This is very welcomed after a solid three-four weeks of freezing temperatures and several days and nights of sub-zero temps.   With an average spring temperature of 42 degrees for Worcester and 46 for Providence, we should see even warmer temperatures than that if we'll have an above average spring. ...

Winter took awhile to arrive but it's here in full swing. Over the past three weeks here in New England we have seen three major storms and there is more in the forecast for later this week.  Yes the snowy winter that everyone was predicting is finally here. Winter started off slow, similar to last year with relatively no snow in December or January well at least until the end of January.  Then it all came barreling with one storm bringing 34.5 inches to Worcester and 19.1 inches to Providence. A second storm six days later brought another foot plus to both Worcester and Providence. We're now in the middle of a storm that could bring will over a foot and a half to New England. While all this snow maybe pretty and fun for kids without school and adults who got to skip out on work due to travel bans, it raises some issues when it comes to delivery fuel to homes.  With all the snow that has been dropped onto New England the roads have become more narrow, reduci...

This cold snap may lead some to take drastic and potentially dangerous measures to stay warm. It is cold here in New England and not that oh it's January it's suppose to be cold, cold. With the wind chill last night, January 7-8th it was a balmy -29 outside. This may lead many who can't afford to heat there homes through traditional means like heating oil, natural gas, or propane to use unconventional or unsafe measures to stay warm. You should never ever ever, did I say ever use a cooking appliance such as an oven, stove, or cook top as a source of heat. This refers to opening up an oven door and turning the heat to 100, 200, 300, 400+ degrees.  When it comes to an electric unit, this is a waste of electricity and with electric prices the way they are right now will cost you more in the long run.  If you have a gas fired oven, using it as a heating source is dangerous as carbon monoxide can leak into your home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, ...

If we follow last years trends, we'll have another cold January and February. December felt like a relatively warm month, especially over the past couple of days with temperatures almost hitting 60 on Christmas.  New Englander's were warned that we would have a colder and snowier than average winter, right now it doesn't look like it. When we compare last year's December to this year's, we're following a similar pattern set out from last year. This December so far has been warmer than 2013's, we still have about a week left to get us right on par with 2013 but it doesn't look like we'll get as cold.  In the five days that we've officially been in winter only one day's high stayed below freezing, the 21st. The 24th and 25th this year were uncharacteristically warm, when compared to the 34 and 21 degrees that we had last year. However in 2013, winter welcomed us with a balmy 53 and 63 degree days on the 21st and 22nd respectively. ...

Programmable thermostats help to save on energy while keeping you comfortable. I can remember the first day moving into my house growing up as a kid, I was in the second grade and it was February. I noticed the dial type thermostat and thought it's cold I'd much rather wear shorts than long pants.  I decided to turn the temperature to 90 degrees, about 15 minutes later my Dad made comment about it being really hot in the house. To this day a good 15-20 years later that same dial thermostat is there on the wall ready to be turned to 90 degrees. Modern thermostats, like the programmable one that is in my apartment allow me to set different temperatures for different times of the day. One right as I go to bed, wake up, go to work, and come home from work. On the weekends it is a little less defined but goes along the same principle, I have options and energy saving abilities that my parents dial thermostat doesn't have.  While I'm away from my apartmen...

What to do when your pipes go bump any time of the day. Steam boilers heat water into steam that travels through pipes and into radiators in older homes. Radiators in modern homes have been replaced with baseboards to release heat and eliminate the soon to be mentioned issue. Two of the four homes that I've lived in have had radiators and I can remember the distinctive clank and bang of the radiators turning on. Usually this only happens the first time that you turn the heat on, if the noise continues throughout the heating system it can become a huge headache. The cause of the noise is cooled water hitting hot steam/water. This occurs most often when the radiator isn't level or is pitched the wrong way.  A steam boiler recycles the water that is used to create the steam to make more steam. A radiator is designed to send the used steam that is now water back to the boiler. If the radiator isn't level then cooled water can get trapped ...

Stay safe this Winter! As the temperature continues to drop, more and more of us will be forced to give in and fire up your heating source.  Whether it's oil heat, propane, natural gas, or one of the various alternative heating sources we have some tips on how to stay safe this winter. Fire safety can be a big issue in the cold winter months. Following the tips below will help to reduce fire hazards as you start the heating season, along with stay safe in the deep winter of February. 1. Make sure that your heating system has been inspected and cleaned by a licensed professional. 2. When you start your heating system for the first time this season we recommend that you open up your windows for a little while. This will allow any smell from dirt and dust accumulated over the spring and summer to escape outside. 3. For those homes with chimneys, make sure that the flue is open and obstructions are removed. 4. Try to use electric heaters sparingly. Do not keep them on whe...