Smart Touch Energy Blog

As summer begins to wind down and fall begins to appear on the horizon, there’s a lot to do to get our homes in shape for the winter. There might be outdoor chores to complete, storm windows to put in, patios to pack up and more. One of the tasks you certainly won’t want to neglect, however, is the maintenance of your oil furnace or tank.

If you're one of the millions of homeowners who use propane or heating oil to warm your home during freezing Northern winters, one of the biggest headaches of the season is likely checking the status of your oil. Heating oil is an essential element of your home. But many people fail to upkeep this crucial system.

Heating oil, also known as No. 2 Fuel Oil, has been used to heat homes since the invention of the oil burner in the 1920s. Since then, it has remained a popular option for millions of Americans in regions with freezing, snowy winters.

When is it necessary to replace an A/C system? It really depends on the age of the A/C and its current condition. The time when it is best to replace an air conditioner depends on how many years have passed since the original installation date and whether it would cost less to repair or replace the A/C system. To determine when it would be best to replace your central air system, consider the options in the scenarios covered in this article.

Propane is clean, efficient and economical. Every year, an increasing number of Americans are making the choice to switch to propane. When home builders construct new houses, they are more likely to build them to run on propane.

As a homeowner, you face many potential problems. Fire, wind damage, floods and even earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes affect property in some parts of the United States. But one area many homeowners don’t consider is the problem of an oil tank leak. Depending on whether your oil tank is located inside or outside, the size of the leak and how long it’s been taking place, there is the potential not only for dramatic pollution problems, but some serious costs as well.

You need air conditioning.

Maybe the window units you've been using don’t provide enough cooling anymore or your older air conditioning system isn’t giving you the cooling power you want. Perhaps you’ve decided to equip your house with a central air conditioning system. Deciding what system to use, how much cooling power you need and how much energy efficiency can you afford are all important questions.

Are you looking to buy a home with propane heat? If you're like millions of Americans, you probably have no idea what heating with propane entails. You might have used it to fire up the grill, but you've never incorporated it into your home — until now. That can be a little bit intimidating, but it doesn't have to be.

If you're like most homeowners, you don't really think much about how your house is heated — until the heat stops working. And then you panic. Not only can replacing your heating system be a big expense, but these days there are so many options available to you. It's downright overwhelming.

In the 21st century, there are lots of ways to pay for something, including heating oil. From cash on delivery to a payment plan, how do you know which option is best for you?