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Have you ever run out of propane? If you have, then you know what a hassle it can be.
And even if your tank isn’t completely empty, you may still face some potential problems. When propane levels get too low, air can get into your system, which can lead to expensive damage. In general, you shouldn’t let your tank’s propane level go below 20%.
To better combat this, lots of our customers enjoy our automatic delivery service to eliminate the worry of a run-out. But automatic deliveries aren’t the best solution for everyone.
If your propane use isn’t very consistent, we can’t use our algorithm to predict your needs. And many of our customers travel often, or only use their New Hampshire home seasonally or occasionally, which means their propane use fluctuates. If that’s you, you’ll really appreciate the real-time accuracy of our Otodata wireless propane tank monitor!
What’s a wireless propane monitor? It’s a small, wireless device that attaches directly to your tank, which monitors—in real-time—your fuel levels and sends an alert exactly when you need propane.
Wireless tank monitors track the level of propane in your tank and transmit your usage via wireless cellular technology. When the tank gauge reaches a pre-set level, the monitor alerts us—and you—directly via the wireless mobile app.
In addition to timely alerts, the app gives you control and insight to how you use propane. You can use it to easily track and adjust your monthly energy consumption to help you better save on energy costs.
Even if you don’t use it to improve energy efficiency, a tank monitor can save you the expense and hassle of fuel runouts and take the guess work out of knowing when to order fuel. This can be especially convenient if you’re ordering propane for a second home.
A tank monitor is ideal for any situation where propane usage is unpredictable. Short-term rentals are a perfect example.
When you have different people, with different habits, using propane at different rates, our algorithms won’t work to their fullest extent. Say your guests one week take lots of long hot showers, run their towels through the dryer every day, and stay up late in front of the propane hearth every night. The tenants the next week might barely use any propane at all. That makes it hard to predict tank levels to provide reliable automatic deliveries.
It also means physically checking the tank gauge can be unreliable too. Tank levels could seem fine when one set of renters check in, but by the time they leave they’re super low, and you’ll have to get a rush delivery scheduled.
With the monitor, there’s no need to guess. Our Odata monitoring system comes with a convenient app that lets you track multiple tanks with ease.
A wireless tank monitor is easy to install, and we can have you ready to go in a matter of minutes! Contact us today to find out more about the benefits of wireless tank monitoring and how we can get you set up—100% hassle-free.
One of the most common home heating system choices are boilers. As the name implies, they heat water to provide heat throughout your residence.
Commonly, many people ask us how a boiler is different from a water heater and wonder why they need both. Here’s how boilers work, and why you need a water heater too.
When you use a boiler to heat your home, you’re using a radiant heating system. The boiler heats water or steam and distributes it through pipes to heat the floors or walls in your rooms. The water is eventually recycled back to the boiler to be reheated and used again. Because it’s still hot—just not hot enough to produce steam—it takes less energy to reheat the water when it passes through the system each time. That’s one way a radiant system is inherently more efficient than other alternatives.
Radiant floor heating warms the objects and people in the room rather than the air around them. The heat is transferred to people and objects in the room via infrared radiation, much like heat from the sun.
Because it doesn’t heat air, a radiant heat system is generally about 15% more efficient than other heating systems. Another nice benefit is that even ceramic tile floors are warm under your bare feet in the winter.
Still, radiant heating systems aren’t perfect for every home. They can be expensive to install retroactively, and they can raise your floors by as much as half an inch: Good to know if you have low ceilings. It can also affect doors and doorways between rooms. Lastly, because it’s installed under the floor, it’s much harder to access the heating elements for repairs or maintenance.
It’s an obvious question: both heat water! But the water that passes through your water heater is sent through pipes to your sink, tub, shower, and appliances like your washing machine and dishwasher, to be used for cooking, cleaning, and bathing. It then goes down the drain and into the sewer system.
The water in your boiler goes through different pipes and is heated to a much higher temperature—hot enough to turn it into steam—and then it gets recycled through the system again and again to heat your space.
How you heat your home has a big impact on your comfort. It can also make a big difference in what you spend each month to keep comfortable. That’s a lot to think about if you’re planning a renovation or building or buying a new home.
When it comes to heating your central New Hampshire, boilers are a great option. We can help you choose the best model for your home, budget, and preferences. Not sure what’s the right choice for you? We’re happy to answer all your questions and walk you through your choices. If a furnace might be a better choice, we’ll explain why.
Once you decide, you can rely on the experienced pros at Pemi River Fuels to install your equipment correctly to insure it keeps your home comfortable for decades to come.
Helping you keep your home warm and comfortable is our biggest priority! Contact us today for more information, to schedule an appointment, or for any questions about heating systems, oil, or propane.
Energy prices have remained volatile throughout the year, and we are getting a lot of calls from homeowners asking about finding the most effective ways to heat their home this winter season. Transparently, we suggest that if your equipment was installed within the last two or three years, your best bet is likely to keep it given the costs associated. However, if you’re looking to replace a decades-old system and are considering your options, there are a few things to keep in mind. This includes conversion costs, efficiency, dependability, and more.
One of the most popular questions we get is: “How do electric heat pumps compare to propane for heating?” Here, we’ll help give you some specifics to help you make the best possible choice for your home.
Electricity is great—and essential—for your lights, computers, televisions, and some appliances. Coinciding with that, heat pumps are touted as an efficient solution to cool and heat your home, especially when central air is not an option…and truth be told they are great for cooling.
But when it comes to whole-house heating, they are simply not as effective as a propane furnace or boiler. Why is that? Electric heat takes much longer to reach a comfortable temperature and subsequently maintain it—which in turn, drives up your energy usage. That means, even without geopolitics driving energy costs up, electricity costs you more on average than most alternative fuel choices.
Electric heat pumps rely on outdoor air, they must work harder, and use more electricity, to keep your home warm the lower the temperature goes. Think about how cold it gets in New Hampshire in the heart of winter and imagine the impact that has on your utility bill!
Three words sum this up: Propane heats better! Propane generates more Btus than an equivalent amount of electricity, and it delivers more than twice the Btus of natural gas, so you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy. It also works quicker. Propane water heaters work faster to heat your water than their electric counterparts:
In addition to heating your home, propane is equally great for cooking, drying your clothes, and heating your water. You can also use propane outside your home to BBQ, power a firepit, warm your deck or patio, light your outdoor space, and keep your pool or spa at just the right temperature.
There is a range of factors to consider when choosing the energy source for your home heating and appliances, but when it comes to heating your home, propane is the choice that can’t be beat…and Pemi River is the local provider you need to call!
If you’re thinking about making the switch to propane, the pros at Pemi River can make it easy. After all, there’s a reason so many homeowners and businesses in central New Hampshire rely on us for expert propane equipment installations and dependable propane delivery! Contact us today to learn more—we’d love to have you join our family of customers.
Winter is still officially more than a month away, but temperatures here in central New Hampshire have already been dipping below freezing at night. Meanwhile, everyone is feeling the pressure of higher prices for everything from a gallon of milk to a gallon of gas. We know that’s hard on everyone. And we know how important it is for you to have a dependable heating oil delivery that won’t break the bank. Especially as winter approaches and you are thinking about how much heating oil will cost this season.
Heating oil is derived from crude oil, which is why the price of crude oil has the largest impact on the price of heating oil. Because crude oil is a commodity—a raw material that can be bought or sold—its own price is driven by the laws of supply and demand. That means the global economy and any issues that affect the supply of crude oil will affect how much you pay to heat your home.
Of course, there are other factors that contribute to the overall price of heating oil, such as labor costs, transportation, and storage costs.
Even the weather and seasonal demand play a big role. When temperatures are colder than normal, people use more heating oil, driving prices up. That’s why we secure large amounts of heating oil year-round, especially during summer, when the costs tend to be lower, so we can pass on savings to you in the winter, when you need them most.
If you use heating oil in your home, you already know it’s a great value. Today’s home heating oil is clean-burning and efficient, and it provides steady, reliable heat energy at an affordable price. When you’re a Pemi River customer, you understand that value isn’t just about rock-bottom prices. The real value comes from dependability, quality fuels, convenience, and personal service.
With Pemi River, you get the added value of convenience. This includes our free automatic delivery service which eliminates the need to monitor your tank levels. Our proven system is based on your typical use, daily temperatures, and real-time weather forecasts, so we can predict when you need fuel.
We also offer plenty of options to help you manage costs no matter what happens with prices or how cold it gets.
When you’re looking for a heating oil provider for your home or business, you want a company that puts customers first. That inherently means offering fair, transparent pricing, but it also means offering true reliability, with products and services designed to make your life easier.
Pemi River Fuels has been dedicated to prompt, reliable, courteous service for our customers in Grafton and Belknap Counties in New Hampshire for more than half a century. Contact us today to learn more and become a Pemi River Fuels heating oil customer.
*Pricing program enrollment is available for a limited time only. Please speak to a customer service representative for details.
We hear it every year: “I didn’t have any problems last winter; do I really need to tune up my boiler or furnace again this year?”
The answer is always: yes! It’s the regular maintenance that kept your heating system running smoothly through all the winter storms and deep freezes. The folks who thought they could skip a tune-up are nearly always the ones who had to call us in the middle of the night for a no-heat emergency. On top of that, they probably used more fuel than usual, driving their bills higher.
New Hampshire winters are no joke, so it pays to be sure your heating system is ready to go before the cold weather arrives. And we mean that literally—regular maintenance keeps your system running at peak efficiency. That means you’ll burn fuel more efficiently and keep heating costs down. That can add up to 10% savings on annual heating costs. Those kinds of savings count for a lot as we head into another season of price uncertainty.
Still not sure if you need a tune-up? Here are 5 reasons not to skip seasonal maintenance for your heating system.
When it comes to winter preparation, a seasonal tune-up is, hands down, the best tool we offer to ensure a trouble-free season. And when you enroll in one of our affordable service protection plans, your tune-up is included! You’ll also get priority service and discounts or full coverage on repairs if you do need them. We offer two levels of coverage and are always help you walk through the benefits of each to help you choose the best plan for you.
Ask about service plans for water heaters, too…because did you know the average water heater repair can cost as much as $570?
We’re always looking for ways to help you stay comfortable while keeping your heating and cooling costs down for your Grafton or Belknap County, New Hampshire home.
And, if you think it’s time to replace your old equipment, we can help you with a new high-efficiency system that may cut your heating bills in half. Contact us for more information and to schedule your tune-up today.
Pemi River Fuels’ commitment to providing great customer service is one of our guiding principles. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the new Fuel Genie mobile app! We think you’ll love how it will make all kinds of tasks and requests easier, from ordering heating oil and propane, to checking and paying account balances—even checking past service records.
The best part is that it’s super easy to get started—all you need is your Pemi River account number and an email address. Just search for “Fuel Genie” in the Apple App Store or Google Play and download the easy-to-use app.
When you’re ready, click on “Account Login” and follow the prompts to set up your account. Don’t forget to save your password!
Check out all the things you can do once you’ve registered:
Don’t have an online account with us? Just click on “Account Login” at the top of our company website and follow the prompts to set up your account.
The customer portal and Fuel Genie app are just the newest ways we’ve developed to help you streamline your to-do list, eliminate paper clutter, and reduce stress. It goes together with all the other great services and benefits we offer to make doing business with us easy! That includes our budget friendly payment options that help you manage costs, automatic delivery service and more.
Of course, we’re always here for you and are happy to take your calls. But using the customer portal or app means you can access your account and request deliveries at any time that’s convenient for you. Login and create your account today to discover all the great benefits for yourself!
Maybe you’re planning your dream home—or vacation hideaway—well off the beaten path. Or perhaps you’re currently in a location that experiences extended outages due to rough winter weather. Whatever your motivation, off-grid doesn’t have to mean “roughing it.” These days, an off-grid lifestyle can include every convenience of modern living, thanks to the versatility and efficiency of propane.
Surprised? Propane is clean-burning and abundant, making it a cost-effective home energy solution that can help lower energy bills whether you’re living on- or off-grid.
Building in a remote location can be desirable for all kinds of reasons but hooking up to electric and natural gas can cost thousands of dollars when you’re far from the main lines. Propane can be safely stored on your property, in a tank. When combined with other alternative and renewable energy sources like solar and wind, propane can transform off-grid living from extreme to extremely comfortable!
The same technology that makes propane ideal for water heaters makes it a smarter choice than electricity to power all kinds of appliances that use hot water or heat:
If you’re looking into converting to propane power at your New Hampshire home or you’re interested in using propane for an off-grid property, the pros at Pemi River Fuels can answer all your questions. Contact us today for more information and to get started on finding the perfect solution for your residence.
So many things remain unpredictable these days. The weather. The news. The price of fuel. Energy prices have been surging nearly across the board—not just for the oil and propane to fuel your home, but also at the gas pump and at the grocery store, too. While we can’t control fuel prices at-large, we’re always looking for ways to help you keep costs manageable.
That said, our customers who were enrolled in one of our propane pricing plans were well protected from the worst of this past winter’s price spikes. We know too that every budget is different, and that’s why we offer multiple options for your propane needs. Read on to see how each works and discover the best option for you!
Even when fuel prices are low, this plan always popular. That’s because it’s a smart way to manage winter propane—and heating oil—costs and avoid unexpected high invoices, no matter how cold it gets or how much fuel you use.
We use an average based on your past propane use to spread your costs evenly throughout the year, from July to April. As a result, you could see winter bills that are nearly 50% lower! And because you’re paying the same amount each month, it’s easier for you to budget your expenses.
The point of the plan is to keep your fuel costs level and manageable, so even if we have a particularly harsh winter or prices spike, you’ll avoid big fluctuations and surprise high bills.
With our Pre-Buy Plan, you buy your necessary propane gallons before the heating season begins. (Don’t worry, we won’t deliver it all at once!) This lets you take advantage of lower off-season pricing by locking in your per-gallon price ahead of time and eliminates unexpected price jumps. You’ll be automatically enrolled in our automatic fill service too, so you don’t even have to think about placing an order each time you need fuel!
Ready to enroll? Click here to get started.
Our Fixed Price Program for heating oil and propane is exactly what it sounds like! We agree on a set fixed price ahead of the heating season and you’re locked in at that price throughout the season. No matter what happens with fuel prices, your price won’t go over the fixed amount.
Ready to enroll? Click here to get started.
When you enroll in AutoPay and pay within 10 days, we’ll give you a 20¢-discount per gallon. Seniors, active military members, and veterans who use AutoPay also get an extra discount of 3¢ a gallon!
What is AutoPay, exactly? It is a convenient option that charges your monthly propane bill to your credit card or deducts it from your checking or savings account. It knocks an item off your to-do list each month, too, without you having to mail in a check or visit our office to pay in cash.
Making life easier for you is important to us. That’s why our propane pricing and payment programs are designed to take the worry out of heating season by making your bills more predictable and manageable. Contact us today to find out more about how we can make your life easier! Whether you need service, installation, propane, or heating oil delivery, Pemi River Fuels is here for you.
If you’ve recently made the switch to tankless water heating, you know there are a lot of benefits that coincide. For starters, you enjoy virtually endless hot water. Tankless water heaters also improve your energy efficiency, delivering potential savings of up to 40% on monthly energy costs. That counts for a lot these days!
Tankless water heaters can also last longer than their tank-style, water-storing counterparts—but to ensure longevity and sustained performance, they require regular maintenance. The good news is that it’s easy to do. Let’s bring you through the basics:
For the most part, all you need to do is flush the system once a year—although if you have very hard water, you may need to do it twice a year. The point is to remove scale buildup in the system. Scale can accumulate more quickly in tankless units and will affect performance if unchecked. Some units—like those from Rinnai—will even remind you when it’s time to perform maintenance!
Most systems have flush kits installed that enable you to run a vinegar solution through the unit in a loop. It’s not hard to do yourself, if you feel handy, and manufacturers provide instructions, or you can have your local plumber or HVAC company, like us, to perform the task.
Hard water is hard on your water heating system. Hard water is water that has a high mineral content—particularly calcium. If you feel like you need to rinse your hands for a long time to get the soap off, you probably have hard water. Hard water will also leave glasses looking spotty, and your skin feeling dry.
It’s easy to treat your water. A water-softening system will filter out the excess minerals and replace them with ions of sodium, in a process called ion exchange.
By removing the minerals that cause scale buildup, you’ll reap many benefits. Your pipes, showerheads, and faucets will last longer, as will your water heating system and appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Plus, your skin will feel better, your laundry will look cleaner, and you’ll eliminate water spots on glasses.
Whether or not you chose to soften your water, you shouldn’t skip regular maintenance on your tankless unit. If you want to do it yourself, it’s easy, and only takes about two hours—with only about a half-hour of hands-on time. And skipping maintenance will cost you a lot more. If scale starts to accumulate in your plumbing and fittings, it’s much harder to repair. And replacing your tankless water heater is a lot more expensive than performing a routine system flush.
When you consider that water heating is such a big part of a home’s energy costs—bathing, laundry, and dishwashing can add up—investing in an efficient propane water heater is a smart way to reduce those costs while enjoying more hot water. Protecting that investment is a smart move, too!
The pros at Pemi River Fuels can walk you through your options for a more efficient water heating system, and make sure it’s installed correctly for maximum efficiency and performance. Contact us today for more information.
As the days get longer, and the weather gets warmer, you’re probably not planning on giving much thought to your oil tank. Getting through the weeks of the winter season and starting your spring chores are probably top of mind. In fact, it might seem nuts to make sure you have a tank of fuel for the long, hot summer, but it’s actually one of the smartest things you can do.
We’ve got three good reasons you should schedule a heating oil delivery in the spring.
While modern fuel tanks are built to last, like everything, they’ll last longer if you take care of them. Keeping your fuel tank full over the summer will extend its life.
When your heating oil tank sits empty, condensation can form—and that can result in all kinds of problems. For starters, when condensation forms on the interior walls of an empty tank, that water drips down and sinks to the bottom of the tank. That occurs because water is denser than heating oil. That water then becomes an ideal environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. Over time, it turns into sediment or sludge that can get into your fuel lines and clog them up. This will cause your heating system to shut down, likely during the next winter, when we’re in the middle of a deep freeze. Sludge can also corrode your tank from the inside out—a big problem that could be difficult to see coming and costly to remediate.
In the winter, your tank doesn’t stay empty long, so these issues don’t come up. Condensation is less likely to form in colder temperatures. But in summer, especially if your tank is outside, condensation will form quickly. Of course, if you’re signed up for automatic deliveries, we’ll make sure you’re topped off for the summer.
If your water heater runs on heating oil, you’ll need to have some oil in your tank to make sure you have hot water. The largest use of hot water in the summer months is for showers, but your dishwasher needs hot water to get your dishes clean too. If you wash your dishes by hand, you will certainly want some hot water—cold water doesn’t do the job on greasy, dirty pots and pans. You may also want hot water for doing at least some of your laundry.
When your tank is full in the fall, you won’t have to fight for a convenient heating oil delivery appointment at the same time everyone else is trying to get a delivery. You’ll also be ready for an early cold snap. While you’re at it, if you have a service plan with us, why not get your heating system tune-up in the spring? Not only will you have your choice of appointments, but the benefits won’t wear off over the summer!
One last thought. While fuel costs are up right now, filling up your tank to protect it from failing is a much better investment than paying for cleaning up an oil spill and a new tank—and the oil to fill it. If you’re an existing will-call customer and need a fill-up, please contact us today.
Are you looking to become a Pemi River Fuels customer? We’d love to help you. Give us a call today for local, reliable deliveries of propane or heating oil, as well as heating system services and repairs.
Pemi River Fuels has been meeting the fuel needs of homes and businesses in portions of Grafton and Belknap Counties here in New Hampshire for more than 50 years. We understand New England values and the importance of personal, courteous customer service!