Three lessons learned in winter 2017-18

It’s spring – according to the calendar, anyway – which means it’s time to start looking to the warmer days and colorful blooms to come. But before we put away the shovels and snow blowers, let’s take a look at some things we’ve learned from winter 2017-18.

Looking back at winter 2017-2018

The biggest takeaway from this winter, of course, is expect the unexpected. Huge and sudden temperature swings have been the norm so far in 2018, as has extreme weather – to the tune of four Nor’easters in three tumultuous weeks, including one perfectly timed to kick off spring.

Talk about unpredictable!

The answer to that unpredictability is to be prepared for anything – which leads us to lesson one: Get routine heating service every year. You have to do whatever you can to keep your heating system in top shape for its winter marathon, and the best way to do that is to work out the kinks before that marathon starts. Four out of five heating system repairs are preventable with routine maintenance – a statistic worth remembering the next time your family is stuck waiting for emergency service on the coldest night of the year.

Another reason for an unexpected cold night at home? Fuel run-outs. We saw a lot of them in early 2018, when record-low temperatures gripped our region for several brutal January weeks. Most of those run-outs happened with our will-call customers, who had to wait their turn for a heating oil delivery. Our automatic delivery customers, on the other hand, got their fuel on time and received priority service for any emergency problems they encountered. That peace of mind makes signing up for FREE automatic delivery our second lesson learned.

The third lesson? Know when it’s time to upgrade your heating system. There comes a time when it makes more sense to replace your equipment than it does to repair it – and considering the incredible efficiency of today’s systems and the incentives available from manufacturers and energy programs, that time may come sooner than you think. If your system is 10 years old or more and an unexpected repair comes along, it’s worth considering whether an upgrade makes more sense than a quick fix.

Three lessons, three ways to make next winter a little easier for you and your family. For other ways to take the stress out of winter, give us a call – we’re happy to help.

Considering a heating system upgrade for your Bergen County-area home? We can help. Contact us today for a FREE, no obligation estimate!