Have you ever wondered if the other old homes in your neighborhood have as much trouble keeping heat inside in the winter and cool air from leaking out in the summer?  It is really hard to know unless you stack up your bills against a fellow worker, family member or neighbor. Even then, their home can have differences that can cost them more or less than you.

We have all endured a messy visit from Old Man Winter in the Framingham, Metro West and Boston area. The arctic cold and snowy landscape have played havoc with heating systems--and with our budgets.

To achieve energy savings, Metrowest Boston homeowners need to both limit their energy use and conserve the energy they have. With advice from Energy Star’s Home Advisor, you can do both. The Home Advisor is a simple online tool that uses information about your home to generate targeted tips for energy savings.

The Home Advisor’s tips for Metrowest Boston are:

Did you know that if air leaks are left untreated, they can account for a significant amount of energy loss in your Route 495/128-area home? If you haven't already done so, now may be the perfect time to schedule a home energy audit to get a handle on energy losses in your home's envelope.

Many Massachusetts homes are inadequately insulated, either because they were built with an insufficient amount, or because the existing material has been damaged. If you’ve decided to increase the amount of insulation in your home, you’re well on your way to better energy savings.

We’ve talked a little bit about programmable thermostats, and how they can help you save money on your energy costs.  In order to get the most out of your programmable units, however, you need to know how to operate them effectively.   If used correctly, homeowners here in Massachusetts can potentially get not only savings but increased comfort with their programmable thermostats.

Programmable thermostats are designed to save homeowners significant amounts of money off their energy bills. Yet, many homeowners operate their programmable thermostats inefficiently, so that they don't experience all the benefits and savings that a programmable thermostat offers.

Do you know that there are different types of humidification systems available for your home?  A portable room humidifier works to add moisture to the air in a single room, but requires frequent refilling.  If the door to that room is left open, humidity will escape to other rooms meaning the room in which the humidifier is placed will not reach the desired set point.  In essence, a portable humidifier cannot provide the comfort and save humidity level capable of a whole house humidifier.

A brutal winter coupled with higher fuel and electricity costs have many Massachusetts homeowners scrambling for ways to take a serious cut out of their energy costs. There are several ways to do that and still stay comfortable. One simple way is with the installation of programmable thermostats.

Programmable thermostats are great tools for lowering heating and cooling costs. By setting back temperatures when the home is not occupied, homeowners can save every month on energy costs. The options available on many of the Energy Star-qualified thermostats are features that enhance them far beyond their ability to reduce costs.