Welcome to the Dead River Company blog!

*Updated 3/23/15

If you live in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Massachusetts, it’s a good bet that you’re paying attention when someone advertises a way to cut your heating costs. Maybe you are even considering the switch to natural gas. The next practical step, before making your decision, is to do a little homework.

Whip out your phone and a quick “Google” search will result in an overwhelming amount of information. But what should you be looking for? What questions should you really be asking? Every day, Dead River Company works with homeowners, helping answer the key questions to make an informed decision and find energy saving solutions. When it comes to natural gas, we want to save you a little time in your search, so here are some questions to consider…

• What are the conversion costs for natural gas? If you currently heat with oil, in order to reap the highest stated natural gas savings, you’ll need to convert your home’s central heating system to a high efficiency natural gas system, which typically is an investment of $9,000 or more. At today’s current oil prices the savings are less than $200 per year, if any at all, based on recent natural gas costs. This is an estimated payback period of over 20 years – depending upon how fuel prices fluctuate. For thousands less, you can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30% by turning back your thermostat and using propane space heating to warm the room where you and your family spend the most time.

• Is the price of natural gas stable? All energy markets – including the natural gas market – are volatile and subject to events beyond the control of the supplier.

• Is natural gas green energy? No. Natural gas is methane, a greenhouse gas. Propane, however, is considered green energy that is highly energy efficient and versatile. Propane is used for heating water, cooking, space heat, whole home heating, and outdoor living.

• Is there a local natural gas company? Presently, large conglomerates, foreign investors or Wall Street banks own Maine’s natural gas companies. In most communities where natural gas is present there is only one natural gas supplier. Dead River Company is a 106-year-old, family owned, Maine based company. We are a competitively priced, full-service provider, trusted by our customers to be there when they need us. Each Dead River Company office is managed locally to ensure we are responsive to our customers’ needs.

• Will my natural gas company service my equipment? Most of the natural gas suppliers in Maine do not install or service heating equipment, which means in the event of a gas leak in your home, you will need to contact an independent contractor.

At Dead River Company, we understand why you, as a homeowner, want to save both money and energy. We want to ensure your comfort and safety while helping you reduce your home heating costs. Give us a call and let us know how we can help.