Hub Plumbing & Mechanical offers tips to rein in skyrocketing heating fuel costs this winter.

It’s a cold hard fact. Whether you heat with natural gas or oil this winter your fuel bills are going to be higher than ever. What can you do to rein in costs?

John Clary, Service Manager of Hub Plumbing and Mechanical of Boston, MA, has compiled a short list of tips that will help you keep your hard earned cash from going up in smoke.

1. Like any piece of moving equipment, your boiler needs regular servicing to perform at maximum efficiency. Don’t wait until there’s a problem at 3 AM on a Sunday morning during a blizzard – do it now. Routine maintenance is short money.
2. Invest in a programmable thermostat. Many models have multiple programmable settings, allowing you to turn down the heat overnight, up again in the morning as you get ready for work, down during the day when the house is unoccupied, and up again in the evening until bedtime when the cycle starts over again. Don’t forget to reset the program if you’re going away on vacation.
3. You’re paying a premium to warm the air inside your home – keep that warm air inside by insulating ceilings, attics, and walls. And don’t forget to insulate ductwork or pipes that pass through unheated areas such as attics or basements. Consider insulating both the ducts and basement walls to keep the basement from becoming colder.
4. While the weather is still warm, take a walk around the outside of the house and plug any visible gaps or cracks with foam sealant. Also replace or add weather-stripping around doors and windows.
5. Be creative and rearrange the furniture - blocked vents and baseboard radiators keep the heating equipment running longer.
6. Dust! Vacuum radiator surfaces and heating vents to keep them free from dust that can block the flow of heat.
7. Keep the fireplace flue closed when the fireplace isn’t in use – otherwise it’s like leaving a window open. And don’t forget to turn down the thermostat so that you’re not heating the air that literally goes up the chimney when your fireplace is in use.
8. Close the door! You’re wasting money when you keep the doors of cabinets, pantries, closets, and unused rooms open inside your home - they don’t need to be heated.
9. Capture the natural heat of the sun, letting the sunshine in by opening drapes and blinds during the day, and closing them at night.
10. Shop wisely. If you need new heating equipment, ask a qualified professional to discuss the installation of the new super high efficiency models with a 90+ efficiency rating (some older boilers have an efficiency rating of only 50 or 60, they may still be working…for the utility company!)

How low you can go? Experiment with lower temperatures, increasing your comfort level by adopting the layered look indoors as well as out. Who knows? Maybe nightcaps will come back in style. And, if all else fails, remember you can always stay warmer by cuddling!

About Hub Plumbing & Mechanical
Hub Plumbing & Mechanical takes the plumbing industry to the next level, utilizing a professional, friendly, customer-centered approach. In addition to protecting your floors with red carpet, Hub’s experienced plumbers also cover their work boots with stain-resistant boot covers, wear ID badges for security purposes, and arrive on time and smartly dressed in crisp, clean uniforms.

The company does not charge by the hour, but by the specific project. Hub Plumbing & Mechanical is available 24 hours a day and 7 seven days a week to provide immediate access and peace of mind. Live receptionists manage and dispatch emergency calls in house, not via an answering service or third party, to streamline the service.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical was established in 1999 and now includes a staff of 11 full time employees. This full service plumbing company assists residential and commercial customers with code violations, sewer/drain clogs, garbage disposals, water heaters, water filtration, steam and hot water boilers, thermostats, leaky faucets, tub valves, gas pipes, appliance installation, and outside hose faucets.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical Inc. is located at 1444 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA. Hub Plumbing & Mechanical can be contacted at 1-866-HUBPLUMBING (482-7586) and online at www.hubplumbing.com.