Hear from the Many Satisfied Customers So Far
Hear from your neighbors about their experience with installers, their new technology and more!
Many Satisfied Customers so Far
One such customer is Damon Bosetti, a member of Arlington’s Clean Energy Future Committee, who recently installed a HeatSmart air source heat pump.
“I enjoy the system’s comfort and safety and doing our part to fight climate change. I’m a big supporter of the work the HeatSmart team is leading. After last year’s Merrimack Valley gas line explosions and the growing understanding of the health impacts of particulate matter in the air from combustion appliances, my wife and I wanted an all-electric home.”
Because the installers are vetted and pre-selected, Bosetti says the installation was easier than expected. However, because he owns an older home, he had to budget time and money to clean and seal the existing ductwork that was re-used with the new system.
“We haven’t needed to heat yet, but the air source heat pump also does a great job providing central air conditioning in the summer.”
Bosetti also installed a heat pump hot water heater and heat pump clothes dryer. “Our new clothes dryer is much gentler on our clothes, and the water heater is practically silent and uses only 1 kWh of energy per day.”
When having a whole-home heat pump system installed, Bosetti recommends that customers ask to see the math behind the proposal. “Heat pumps are new in our area, so make sure the system sizing is backed up by a ‘Manual J’ calculation, which indicates how many BTUs the system needs during the coldest and hottest months of the year.” New England Ductless performs the ‘Manual J’ calculation for its whole-home systems.
"I believe the climate crisis demands that each of us do what we can to address our impact. I can try to curb my purchases, reduce my family's food waste, and use public transportation, but producing my own power gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I'm not depending on fossil fuels. Adding solar hot water to my solar PV panels was a great next step in my family's effort to try and do our part at a time when we need to act if we're going to make a difference."
"Working with NESHW was easy. They provided me with information I could understand, worked with me to site the collectors on my roof as well as the associated equipment in my house, and helped me finalize all the forms for rebates. They were efficient and neat, and my family now produces hot water without relying on fossil fuels."
"As an individual, or family, it is sometimes hard to know how to influence big problems like climate change. By participating in the Heat Smart program and installing solar hot water, we not only reduce our utility bills over time, but we are making a statement that these technologies matter, and we are doing our part to address carbon emissions."
“The Winchester - Arlington HeatSmart program has been quite successful so far,” says Fritzie Nace, Winchester’s HeatSmart co-coach along with Alan Field, president of Cool Winchester."
“Already, we’ve had over 300 residents receive a site evaluation for one or more of the technologies. Over 90 contracts have been signed and 60 installations have been completed. Signed contracts include 60 air source heat pumps, 25 solar hot water systems, and 5 ground source heat pumps (geothermal),” Nace reports."
“People are taking advantage of the great incentives offered through Mass CEC and Mass Save, as well as the 30% Federal tax credit available for the geothermal and solar hot water technologies. Incentives are especially good for households replacing oil, propane or electric baseboard heating,” Field explained.
“There are additional incentives available for low and moderate-income households. The 0% Heat Loans have helped many people make these projects doable,” Nace added.
“If you are renovating, rebuilding or soon needing to replace your furnace, boiler, or even your central AC, now is a great time to take advantage of these incentives,” Nace states. “Many will be decreasing come the new year.”
Joanna Alexander: Cooling and Heating with ASHP
“We had been considering adding ductless AC to our house for a number of years, and the Heat Smart program was a great way to work with a company that had been vetted and offered competitive pricing. We ended up installing a combination ductless and ducted system that worked best for our house, and so far we are delighted with the results.”
“Our experience with Heat Smart and New England Ductless was very positive. New England Ductless was responsive, easy to work with, and helpful with financing and available rebates. They were punctual and courteous for our scheduled work.”
“So far we have only used the cooling aspect of our new system, but it has been wonderful. The units work very quietly and efficiently. We are hoping to use the heating aspect of the ductless mini-splits mostly in the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) when we're not quite ready to fire up the furnace but need to reduce the chill of New England falls and springs.”
“So far I'd recommend this technology to others, but I'd like to see how our system performs for a year before recommending it unconditionally.”
Tom Ehbrecht: Heading Toward Carbon-Neutral
Tom Ehbrecht was interested in HeatSmart and energy-efficient heating and cooling because “I see this as key to our family goal of going carbon neutral, in an economical way. By installing an air source heat pump and solar hot water system, most of our household energy use is now electric. It was great timing because our oil furnace was aging and we avoided buying a new furnace and got a more efficient, green system at the same time.”
“The HeatSmart process has been great! The contractors were very responsive. We had lots of questions and explored a number of different configurations and options, and they were been patient and helpful.”
