Green Electricity Products
Heating Oil Buying Network
Energy Efficiency
Advocacy for Consumers and the Environment
July 2014
EARLY BIRD RAFFLE Renew now & you could WIN $500 toward oil!
Summer Incentives
for Energy Efficiency
Mass Save®, the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency program,
has made this a great summer for upgrading your heating
system and installing other energy efficiency upgrades. Most
people wait to replace their heating system until it collapses,
but improvements to heating system designs mean you may be
throwing away good money if you wait.
If you have a furnace that’s at least 12 years old or a boiler
that’s at least 30 years old, and if you live in a town served by
Mass Save, you may be eligible for the Early Heating System
Replacement Rebate for upgrading older, working furnaces
and boilers. Incentives range from $750 to $1,900 when you
replace an existing, working oil-fired furnace or boiler with a
new energy efficient oil-fired unit. You must act by September
30, 2014 for this offer. Visit masssave.com/residential/offers/
early-heating-equipment-rebates or call 866-527-SAVE (7283)
for full program details.
To help cover the remaining costs for a heating system, or
several other types of energy efficiency upgrades, qualified
borrowers may be able to use Mass Save’s 0% interest HEAT Loan
for up to $25,000 with terms up to 7 years. Recently, Mass Save
announced the HEAT Loan can be used on an even broader
array of improvements for a limited time. You may be able to use
a HEAT loan for:
ƒƒ Attic, wall, and basement insulation
ƒƒ High efficiency heating systems
ƒƒ Central air conditioning/air source heat pumps
ƒƒ High efficiency domestic hot water systems
ƒƒ Solar hot water systems
ƒƒ 7-day digital & Wi-Fi thermostats
ƒƒ ENERGY STAR® qualified replacement windows
ƒƒ NEW: High efficiency wood pellet boilers (limited time offer)
ƒƒ NEW: Deeper energy savings (limited time offer)
ƒƒ NEW: Expanded 2-4 family loan (limited time offer)
ƒƒ NEW: Grants to remove asbestos and upgrade knob & tube
wiring (limited time offer)
The best way to understand if you qualify for the Early Heating
System Replacement rebate or HEAT Loan is to call 866-527SAVE (7283) to schedule a home energy assessment. During
the assessment an energy specialist can help you understand
how to best take advantage of these offers while they last.
A heat pump is another type of heating system to consider if you
want to upgrade your heating. On May 13, Massachusetts Clean
Energy Center (Mass CEC) launched the Commonwealth Home
Heating and Cooling pilot project offering a time-limited rebate
for installation of heat pump heating systems in single-family
homes. Because this incentive is administered through Mass CEC
rather than Mass Save, oil-heated homes with municipal electric
companies are eligible to apply. The program covers both
ground-source heat pumps (also known as geothermal energy)
and air-source heat pumps (both ducted central air and ductless
room-sized models). In winter these systems provide heat, while
in summer they can provide air conditioning. Read more about
this incentive at masscec.com/programs/commonwealth-homeheating-and-cooling.
Funding on these incentives is limited, so act now to make your
home more affordable and sustainable.
NOW
is the time to set up
your budget plan
With the price of heating oil remaining well over $3.00 per gallon
for another year, signing up for a budget plan through your Mass
Energy dealer is a good way to spread out your oil bill into 10 to 12
monthly payments.
Here’s an example of how a typical
budget plan works: If you use about
750 gallons of heating oil, and it costs
an average of $3.60 per gallon, your
heating oil bill will total $2700. Instead of
having four or five $500-700 bills during
the season, you will pay your dealer
$270 per month over ten months to
reach the $2700 cost. You will receive
the Mass Energy daily budget price for
the day your oil gets delivered, and that
amount will be credited against your
budget account.
Typically, dealers use a higher average
price when doing an original estimate.
In the past few years, we’ve seen $4.00
per gallon as the regular standard. That
would add $30/month to the example
above. Dealers do that to provide a
little cushion in the event of a price
spike or colder weather conditions, so
they won’t have to ask you to raise your
monthly payment or pay a high end-ofseason balance.
Usually our members end up with a
credit balance, although not so much
this year due to the extreme winter. If
you have a credit balance at the end of
the season, you can have it sent to you
or rolled into next year’s budget plan.
Each of our dealers is a little different
in how they run their budget program,
but generally, they start in late spring or
early summer and run into the following
spring. That makes NOW the time to set
up your budget program.
A Great Year for Savings
Last winter was one of Mass Energy’s best years ever for
heating oil savings. Members paid, on average, 30 cents less
than the state average for full-service dealers. Even better,
when we adjust for heating degree days, the best measure for
how cold a heating season is, our members paid 32 cents less
than the state average. That’s because our advantage grew
during the coldest months, January through March.
Over the course of a cold winter, 32 cents per gallon means a
savings of over $250 for those who bought 800 gallons.
Mass Energy’s formula for consumer savings has not changed in 32
years. We are confident that our approach consistently produces
low prices from full-service dealers who can provide maintenance
and customer service.
Mass Energy does not attempt to guess how the market is going
to change. Instead, we negotiate with our dealers on how much
they can charge above the wholesale price of oil, which changes
daily. So, while we do not fix the price of oil, we do fix how much the
dealers can charge to deliver. No gimmicks.
Our web site will continue to say that our members save an average
of 15–30 cents per gallon compared to the state average. But, every
now and then, the market works in our favor and we do better.
2
Heating Oil Membership Renewal Form
EARLY BIRD RAFFLE: Renew now & you could WIN $500 toward oil!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Prepaid? Don’t Renew
Early Bird Raffle
If you received an email or letter
stating that your membership is
prepaid, please do not fill out this form.
You will automatically be entered in
the Early Bird Raffle!
Renew by August 31st to be entered
to WIN a $500 credit with your Mass
Energy dealer! Renew for 3 years and
you’ll be entered twice.
Members Only Site
Check the status of your membership
by visiting
secure.massenergy.org/extranet
Need to update your account info?
Contact us at 800-287-3950.
Three Easy Ways To Renew Your Heating Oil Membership:
Online: www.massenergy.org/heating-oil
Phone: call our office at 800-287-3950
Mail: fill out the form below and mail to: Mass Energy, 284 Amory Street, Boston, MA 02130
MEMBER INFORMATION
Name ______________________________________ Membership # _________________________________________________
Mailing Street Address ________________________________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________ Zip ________ Phone _________________________________
E-Mail (make sure we have your most recent e-mail) ___________________________________________________________
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
(Please select one. Dues are not tax-deductible and are not refundable)
 $20 One Year Basic
 $10 One Year Fixed Income & Retiree
 $45 Three Years Basic
 $30 Three Years Fixed Income & Retiree
 $25 Non-Residential Customer
Note — If you’re a Fuel Assistance member: You will receive a separate renewal letter and form in August. If you’re a
recent Fuel Assistant client, please call Mass Energy (617-524-3950) to find out how you can renew for FREE.
DONATIONS
Yes, I will make a tax-deductible donation to support Mass Energy’s Oil Bank for emergency heating assistance.
 $10
 $25
 $50
 $100
 $300
 $500
 Other $_______________
PAYM E N T
Total Amount (Membership Fee And/Or Donations) $______________
 My check is enclosed. Please make checks payable to “Mass Energy”
 Please Charge My:  Mastercard  Discover  Visa
Card No. ________________________________________
Exp. Date _________________________________________________
Signature ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dues are non-refundable and are not tax-deductible. However, contributions to the Massachusetts Energy Consumers
Alliance for the Massachusetts Emergency Oil Bank are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
3
things you need to know
for heating season
1. Sign up NOW for Budget Payment Plans.
See article on page 2 for more information!
2. Don’t be fooled by caps or lock-in prices.
Over time, consumers who stay with our program
save more by paying the price of the day.
3. Clean and tune-up your system BEFORE it’s
cold. Tune ups are the easiest way to ensure
your system works efficiently all winter.
4. Get a $50 credit toward your oil bills when you
refer a friend! (after referral takes first delivery)
Our dealers now service most
of western Massachusetts.
tell your friends!
Check out
Mass Energy’s new blog!
www.massenergy.org/blog
One more way to keep you in the know. Subscribe today!
4
Return Service Requested
Printed on recycled paper.
(p) 800-287-3950
(f) 617-524-0776
[email protected]
www.massenergy.org
Making energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable
since 1982.
284 Amory St.
Boston, MA 02130
Non Profit
US Postage
PAID
Boston, MA
Permit #50190