With cooler weather arriving with fall here in western Connecticut, it will soon by time to turn on the heating systems in our homes.
How is your fuel supply?
You can ensure that you’ll always have the heating oil or propane you need by enrolling in Santa Energy’s Automatic Fuel Delivery! Instead of you having to regularly check your propane or heating oil tank gauge levels, we use our degree-day technology, we accurately know when you’ll need fuel, and schedule a delivery to your home before you run low.
These three advantages are why you should enroll in Automatic Fuel Delivery.
Life can get busy, between work and school and family or social responsibilities. But if you get so busy that you forget to check on how much heating oil or propane is in your tank, you run the risk of running low on or running out of fuel.
But with Automatic Delivery, you can leave that work and worry behind! You get your propane or heating oil without having to lift a finger.
Why would we offer this upgraded service for free? Because it helps us serve you — and all our customers — better!
We deliver propane or heating oil only when you need it, since we know exactly when you’ll need more fuel. You will only receive a delivery when you truly require it. This streamlines our fuel delivery service, allowing us to serve more clients each day. It also enhances our customer service by making us even more responsive in the event of a client requiring emergency delivery.
Do you know what happens if you run out of fuel? A lot of worry, expense, and hassle.
Your home could become uncomfortably if not dangerously cold. That cold puts your home’s pipes at risk of freezing and bursting. Extinguished pilot lights can be a safety hazard.
Then you have the expense and hassle of an emergency fuel delivery. If you do run out of fuel, please do not contact us online or by email. Call us at 800-937-2682 any time of day or night for 24-hour emergency service.
Your heating system will have to be professionally restarted. If you use propane, there is also a required professional pressure testing of your propane tank and re-lighting of the pilots in all your propane appliances. Every penny of those costs come out of your pocket.
Take the work and worry about getting fuel for your home this winter. Contact us today to enroll in Automatic Delivery!
The past year and a half have brought home the importance of safe, healthy air, not just in public spaces like workplaces, stores, and restaurants, but in our own homes.
Santa Energy offers indoor air quality solutions so you can keep your home and loved ones safe with our expert installation and service. Our Honeywell electronic air cleaner uses a three-stage filtration system to trap virtually all airborne particles as they pass through. We also sell, install, and service whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
Your HVAC system has an air filter. It can trap some of the particulates in your home’s air, such as dust, dirt, pollen, and pet dander.
But it can’t trap close to all of them as our electronic air cleaner does. And they do nothing against air-borne viruses, mold, germs, bacteria, or volatile organic compounds (UVC).
The Honeywell electronic air cleaner helps not only clean your air of these pollutants, they also take out odors from cooking and smoking, making your home’s air more pleasant.
There may be both immediate as well as long-term effects on your health when it comes to poor indoor air quality in your home. Some immediate effects include:
Prolonged exposure to indoor air pollutants can be very bad for your health, causing or exacerbating health problems such as heart disease, respiratory conditions like COPD, cancer, and more.
Indoor air quality problems can also have negative impacts on your home and belongings. When the weather is damp or humid outside, it can also be damp and humid indoors. This causes unpleasant and musty odors, as well as conditions ripe for mold and mildew formation, which are unhealthy.
Dry air indoors is not only unpleasant, but it makes you more susceptible to colds and other illnesses. It can also harm wood flooring, moldings, and furnishings.
Whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers are much more effective and energy efficient than portable humidifiers.
Santa Energy has the equipment, knowledge, and experience to make sure your indoor air quality is as safe and healthy as can be. Contact us today for a FREE quote.
Have you heard about wireless propane tank monitoring?
With this service from Santa Energy, we can keep track of how much propane is in your tank in real-time. Wireless propane tank monitoring employs wireless and cellular technology to provide accurate propane tank gauge readings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thanks to our app, available both at the Apple Store and Google Play, you will also be able to check your tank gauge levels on your smartphone or tablet anywhere you have WiFi or cellular service.
We understand how busy life can be. However, if you forget to check your propane tank gauge levels, you could be facing the difficulty and expense of an emergency propane delivery if you run out or run low. But when you have wireless propane tank monitoring, that work and worry are over!
There are several reasons why having a wireless propane tank monitor is beneficial.
One reason is if your propane usage is unpredictable. This pertains to those who travel frequently or live away for part of the year. If you have frequent guests, your propane usage can increase more than you think, between more usage of your propane water heater, range, clothes dryer, and other appliances.
By having the ability to wirelessly monitor your tank, you don’t have to worry that a sudden spike in usage puts you at risk for a runout.
Monitoring your propane tank’s supply wirelessly is also appropriate for second homes and investment properties. You can keep an eye on the propane supply wherever you are. Our wireless tank monitoring app lets you track multiple tanks.
Because we know exactly when you need propane, we aren’t making unneeded deliveries of smaller amounts of propane. You’ll only get propane delivered when you truly need it.
Because wireless tank monitoring streamlines our delivery schedule, we are able to deliver propane to more customers each day. It also makes us even more responsive in the event of a customer needing emergency delivery.
Get security when it comes to your propane supply. Contact us to enroll in wireless propane tank monitoring!
The United Nations recently released a report showing how serious the climate crisis has become and the urgent need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As cooler weather approaches, there is one way you can make a difference. Use Bioheat® fuel, delivered by Santa Energy, to keep your home warm and comfortable.
Bioheat is a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) and biofuels.
Biofuels are made from renewable resources such as animal fats, recycled restaurant oils and plant oils such as soybean.
When ULSHO is mixed with biofuels, it creates a cleaner-burning heating fuel that emits up to 80% less sulfur dioxide as well as 20% less carbon dioxide than traditional heating oils. Fewer greenhouse gases mean cleaner air and a more sustainable future for everyone!
You don’t have to replace, alter, or add to your home’s heating system to use Bioheat. It works like traditional heating oil but provides many benefits. Bioheat cleaner-burning means fewer deposits are left in your heating system, which reduces wear on parts and saves you costs on repairs. Also, with the heating system running more efficiently, it will save you money on energy costs.
The heating oil industry is working towards making B50 Bioheat, which is made with 50% biofuels, the standard by 2030. It’s part of the efforts the industry is taking to reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
There is a misguided effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making homes and businesses convert their heating to electric-powered heating systems.
But as Bioheat continues to be increasingly biodiesel-based, its clean-burning makes it a more environmentally friendly option for heating than electricity.
Across America, more than 90% of the coal used goes towards electricity production. In addition to deforestation by mining and greenhouse gas emissions from combustion, the burning of coal is also responsible for a significant percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Even if renewable power is available, the U.S. is not close to meeting its goal yet; we’re still stuck with environmentally destructive forms of electricity, and until that changes, heating with electricity cannot be considered the best option.
The push towards electrification will also force homeowners, landlords, and businesses to convert to electric heating systems, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Santa Energy is southwestern Connecticut’s leader in reliable delivery of Bioheat. Become a customer today!
It’s been a pretty muggy summer here in Fairfield and New Haven counties. When you come in from the humid outdoors, nothing feels as good as the cool breeze from an air conditioner.
If you’re looking to upgrade to better air conditioning than unsightly, inefficient window A/C units, Santa Energy has a great solution with our ductless mini-splits that save you money and save you time, right from the start!
Central air conditioning requires having ductwork in your home. If you don’t have ductwork, installing it is a complicated, mess, and costly job. It can cost $5,000 or more to add ductwork, depending on the size of your home and the labor involved. Then there’s the added cost of the central air conditioning system, which has a national average cost of about $5,700.
Ductless mini-splits, on the other hand, can be easily and affordably installed. It often takes less than a day!
Air ducts provide a good way of distributing cooled air from a central air conditioning system throughout a home — providing they are in top working condition. But over time, leaks can develop in your home’s HVAC ductwork. When that happens, your central A/C is going to waste energy as it makes up for air losses through the ductwork. Those leaks can dramatically increase your energy costs. Because ductless mini-splits have no ductwork, there’s no risk of any such problems.
Zone control systems with central air conditioning are an upgrade for most homeowners, but it is not automatically included in zone heating and cooling. When you choose a ductless mini air conditioner, the individual blower heads offer zone control. With ductless mini-splits, there’s no need to waste energy cooling your unoccupied bedrooms during the day when you want to cool the living areas.
If you’re lucky and take good care of your window air conditioning units, you may get eight to 10 years out of them before needing to replace them. Window air conditioning units can cost up to $500 apiece, more if you need specialized units for casement windows and other non-traditional windows. If you have window units in each bedroom, plus a few in living spaces such as the family room of home office, that can add up!
Ductless mini-splits, on the other hand, can last up to 30 years with proper maintenance.
There may be additional costs of installing them in the spring and uninstalling them in the fall if you are unable to safely install them yourself. Ductless mini-splits are permanently installed, so you don’t have to worry about that.
The efficiency of window A/C will decline as it ages, driving up your energy costs. On average, ductless mini-splits use 40% less electricity than a window unit.
Ready for the efficient, easy, and cost-effective comfort of ductless mini-splits in your home today? Get in touch with us today for a FREE estimate!
Did you know that August is one of the busiest months when it comes to moving?
According to Moving.com, a website affiliated with the National Association of Realtors, close to 70% of moves are done between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is largely because families with school-age children prefer to move between school years.
We know that moving is a tremendously busy time and there’s a lot of work to do and paperwork to be done. However, we do need you to do something.
If you’re a Santa Energy customer in the middle of moving, or are planning to move, make sure to get in touch with us using our easy moving form.
If you are a heating oil delivery customer, we need to know that you are moving for a few reasons. First, if you use Automatic Delivery, we need to know to end that. We also will close your account for that address, ensuring that you’re not paying for the next resident’s fuel.
Knowing that you are moving and when also allows us to reimburse you for any unused heating oil.
Are you moving to a new home in the Santa Energy service area? Using the moving form lets us seamlessly move your service from your old home to your new one. We can also easily set up any new service that you need, such as propane delivery if your new home uses it for heating, water heating, cooking, and other appliances.
Are you planning a move to southwestern Connecticut? If so, you’re not alone. More than 27,000 people moved to the state in 2020. That was largely because of people in and around New York City looking to move as remote work opportunities increased. More are moving here this year.
If your new home uses heating oil or propane and you’ve never had those fuels where you lived before, you may have questions. Santa Energy’s experts can help you. We’re a full-service heating oil, propane, and HVAC and comfort equipment company, so being a Santa Energy customer is convenient.
We make having heating oil and/or propane in your home easy with options such as Automatic Delivery and pricing and payment options such as our Budget Plan and AutoPay.
Do you have questions about moving and your Santa Energy account? Get in touch with us. We’re happy to help!
For a lot of families, early fall is a busy time, between back-to-school and chores like fall yard clean-up.
You can save yourself some stress by having regular furnace or boiler maintenance done now.
It’s easier to schedule a heating system tune-up now because our service department has less work. Which means you are more likely to get the day and time you prefer.
If your heating system is in need of a tune-up, Santa Energy’s experienced service technicians will come to your home and inspect the unit. If the repairs are small, they can be done quickly because we aren’t as busy this time of year like in late fall.
The advantage of tuning up your heating system now is that by preparing for colder weather months in advance you can be assured that when the cold arrives, your furnace or boiler will be ready from day one.
Now is also a great time to fill your heating oil tank. Did you know that condensation on the bare walls inside your tank can lead to corrosion and tank failure? A full heating oil tank prevents that condensation. Schedule a delivery today and ask about our pricing and payment options too.
This is also a good opportunity to sign up for one of our service plans to protect your equipment and help protect yourself from high repair bills. Our service plans come in packages designed to fit all needs and budgets.
Eight out of every 10 HVAC system breakdowns are caused by a lack of maintenance.
A Santa Energy Service Plan helps prevent those costly repairs—proactively. That’s because regular maintenance is a part of the plan!
Santa Energy service plans provide 24/7 emergency service, priority scheduling, and cover most parts and labor costs with our plans for both gas-fired heating systems and oil-fired heating systems. We also have service plans for air conditioning and whole-house backup generators, and options to include coverage for appliances like water heaters, whole-house humidifiers, and gas fireplaces.
Get in touch with us today to schedule your home heating system maintenance tune-up!
It’s summertime and the living is busy. We’re going to the beach, out to dinner, on vacation, camping, and more. And that’s on top of all the tasks we need to do in our day-to-day lives.
Take some time now to make life easier for the next year. Enroll in our Even-Pay Plan for propane and heating oil delivery.
With the Santa Energy Even-Pay Plan, your costs are spread out over 11 even and affordable monthly payments.
Why is this a good thing? Look up your heating oil and/or propane statements for the last year. By the way, that’s easy to do with a Santa Energy online account.
If you’re like most people, your fuel costs go up and down over the course of the year. They tend to be the highest during winter because you’re using heating oil or propane to heat your home.
Those higher bills come at an unfortunate time, what with the holidays and tax season also happening. But when you’re on our Even-Pay Plan, you no longer need to worry about your fuel costs going up and down. You will know how much you’ll pay every month. You’ll be able to plan your household budget with ease and with no worries.
When you sign up, you don’t only get the ease and convenience that comes with our Even-Pay Plan, you also get the peace of mind that comes with our dependable heating oil and propane delivery.
Santa Energy has another option to manage your propane or heating oil costs.
With Autopay, you don’t have to lift a finger to pay your bill. Your payment is automatically deducted from your checking account or credit card. No hunting down your statement, no writing a check, no mailing it, and no worries about the payment getting to us on time. Your payment is always on time!
We also offer a range of pricing plans for both propane and heating oil.
Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to stabilize your fuel costs. Contact us to sign up for the Even-Pay Plan!
Before programmable thermostats came along in the 1980s, the only choice you had in thermostats was whether it was round or rectangle. Complicating matters, the only way to control them was to walk over and manually change the temperature.
When people discovered how programmable thermostats made managing their home’s heating and cooling easy, they fell in love.
They had no more worries about forgetting to turn the thermostat down before they left or waiting for the house to get comfortable after they returned home. Some models came with multiple programs, so they could program their thermostat for when they went on vacation.
Today, there is a game-changer when it comes to managing your home’s heating and cooling, and its costs: smart thermostats that connect with your home’s WiFi and your smartphone.
Smart thermostats do everything a programmable thermostat does, and so much more!
With a smart thermostat, you can program the home’s temperature remotely anywhere you can get a WiFi or cellular signal. For longer trips, you can use your smartphone to adjust the heating and A/C settings, so the house is comfortable when you arrive home.
Also, many smart thermostats will track your heating and cooling usage. You can imprint your settings accordingly to save money on heating or cooling treatments all year round. In fact, using a smart thermostat correctly can even save you 10% (or more!) on those costs!
Offering more than just automatic temperature control, these smart thermostats also learn your family’s preferences in terms of heating and cooling.
There are even smart thermostats that will notify you when your HVAC equipment needs maintenance or service.
These thermostats are reasonably priced and can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store, as well as online. While they cost more than old-school programmable thermostats, a smart thermostat will help you lower your energy costs from the first time you use it.
Santa Energy carries a wide array of high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Contact us today to get a FREE quote!
Our customers often ask us to hold off on making summer deliveries to their oil tank. It makes sense; you are not consuming a lot of oil in the summer, so why fill your tank?
Empty space in your heating oil tank is a perfect place for condensation to collect. If you leave room in the tank, water vapor from ambient air will condense on the interior walls. Eventually, the condensation settles at the bottom of your tank. This causes an ideal environment for bacteria and sediment to develop, which leads to corrosion. Corrosion can lead to tank failure, which is expensive.
Sludge is another problem that gets its start from condensation. Sludge is the breakdown of the oil molecules that reconnect at the bottom of the tank. Water promotes the breakdown of the oil molecules. Preventing sludge avoids many unexpected no heat calls.
Keeping your heating oil tank full over the summer prevents condensation from developing. This not only protects you from damage caused by sludge or corrosion, but it also helps your heating oil tank last longer.
While the service technician routinely inspects your oil tank during every service call, it is a good idea for the homeowner to check the tank as well periodically.
A simple homeowner inspection asks three questions:
1. Are the tank legs in poor condition? (Bent, leaning, missing)
2. Are there any signs of wetness or weeping at the bottom of the tank?
3. Is there a heavy oil smell in the area of the tank?
If you answer YES to any of these questions, you should contact us to have a technician perform a more in-depth inspection of your tank and its associated piping.
Enjoy your summer, and remember You Can Believe in Santa!