Homeowners Reminded of Home Heating Tips for Winter

FRAMINGHAM - Winter is right around the corner, and local residents are being advised of tips to ensure they’re heating their homes efficiently.

Various agencies and organizations across Massachusetts have prioritized energy efficiency and green technologies when it comes to home heating. One of those resources is the Mass Save program, which offers rebates to residents and businesses that make eco-friendly energy upgrades.

General Manager of Obie Comfort Solutions in Framingham Obie Rosa explained that he and his company work with Mass Save to provide those rebates. He praised the resource as a way to promote greener alternatives for home heating, adding that both businesses and consumers across the community have had a positive reception to cleaner technologies.

“With the technology that’s coming, it’s amazing,” Rosa said.

“I’ve been in the business for over two decades, and the changes that come are amazing. The systems that we have right now…ten years ago, we would not even fathom. Today we can—and with the help of MassSave, that became so, so affordable.”

One of the sponsors of Mass Save is the utility company Eversource, who is reminding homeowners that no cost and no obligation assessments from a contractor are being offered to anyone looking to enroll in the program. Spokesperson for Eversource Chris McKinnon said these meetings introduce people to the process of being more energy efficient through upgrades such as new insulation or smart thermostats.

Even then, McKinnon explained that homeowners don’t have to enroll in Mass Save in order to be efficient this winter.

“There really are some day-to-day things folks can do to save energy within their homes,” McKinnon continued, adding that using natural light through windows during the day to heat homes while closing curtains to keep heat in at night are simple ways to be energy efficient.

New winter electricity rates from Eversource kick in at the turn of the new year. From January 1 through the end of July, the basic service rate for Eastern Massachusetts will be 17.25 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh); that’s a tick up from the previous mark of 16.08 cents, though that same rate was at 25.78 cents last winter, a time that McKinnon described as “volatile” across the global energy landscape. The average customer stands to save around $50 compared to last winter, according to McKinnon.

“Any time we can pass on some of those savings to our customers, it’s really great news,” McKinnon continued.

There was a slight reduction in Eversource’s natural gas supply costs starting in November as well, as the average Eastern Massachusetts heating consumer will be saving about $5 per month compared to last winter, per McKinnon. From there, Eversource has also highlighted multiple payments that can assist residents based on income.