In NH, we rely on five primary fuels to heat our homes: natural gas, fuel oil, propane, wood and electricity. We use furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, wood stoves, pellet stoves and electric baseboard to convert these fuels into heat. In a quest to lower yearly heating costs, homeowners are seeking higher efficiency equipment. Unfortunately, more efficient equipment does not always equate to a lower yearly heating cost. Fuel type is a major factor that is often over looked.
Was your furnace recently red tagged or condemned by an HVAC or Heating contractor? Did your contractor tell you that you had a cracked heat exchanger? Dishonest HVAC and heating contractors will use this as a scare tactic to sell you a new furnace you may not need.
The rising cost of natural gas will likely mean higher heating costs this winter for many New Hampshire residents. The Public Utilities Commission has approved new rates for two of NH's natural gas utilities. Rates will rise approximately 10% in comparison to last year. The rate increases were a direct result of the rising cost of commodities and the limited supply of natural gas in New England. The rate increase which took effect Friday November 1st is expected to impact 20% of NH homes.
High-Efficiency Variable Speed Circulator
The right circulator needs to do more than just move water. LeBlanc Heating uses the new Taco Bumble Bee which is designed to be the "right" circulator for efficient hydronic heating. The Bumble Bee's high efficiency ECM motor uses up to 85% less electricity than a standard circulator. Most importantly, the Bumble Bee's Delta-T variable speed technology maximizes the overall efficiency of your heating system. The Bumble Bee is engineered for energy savings, although a Bumble Bee circulator has a significant cost increase over a non-variable circulator its lifetime savings will far surpass initial cost.
Navien America prides itself on manufacturing the most cost-efficient water heaters available. Navien’s built-in hot water recirculation system recirculates hot water that would otherwise be lost, thus, creating a method that lowers the cost of the customer's water bills each month. A tankless Navien can achieve 4.6 gallons per minutes; enough to satisfy two running showers and a kitchen sink. Innovations like these significantly differentiate Navien from its main competitor Rinnai.