Bill's Bright Ideas
Early Boiler Replacement Rebate

Now that spring is finally here, many of us have turned off the heat and thrown open the windows, breathing a sigh of relief that the old boiler managed to sputter its way through another rough New England winter.

Before this heating season becomes too much of a distant memory, now is a great time to consider replacing that old behemoth with a new, energy efficient system that’ll keep your home warm, while cutting down on greenhouse gases and lowering heating bills.

NSTAR is now offering generous rebates to residential customers replacing functioning boilers, 30 years old or older, in owner and non-owner occupied homes. With the Early Boiler Replacement Rebate available through August 31, 2013, you may be eligible for a rebate from $1,750 to as much as $4,000. You may also be eligible for 0 percent financing through the Mass Save HEAT Loan Program.

While older boilers can have efficiencies of 70 percent or less, modern systems can achieve efficiencies greater than 90 percent.

You may ask yourself, “is it really worth considering replacing that old boiler now?” My answer is unequivocally yes, and let me tell you why. While older boilers can have efficiencies of 70 percent or less, modern systems can achieve efficiencies greater than 90 percent.

A new high-efficiency system can often cut fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions in half. Upgrading a boiler from 56 percent to 90 percent efficiency in an average cold-climate house can cut 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year if you heat with gas or 2.5 tons if you heat with oil, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

One of the prerequisites for receiving the Early Boiler Replacement Rebate is to sign up for a no-cost Mass Save home energy assessment now through August 31 – before replacing your boiler. Qualifying new equipment must be installed by October 1.

You can schedule your energy assessment appointment by calling 800-632-8300. As part of the assessment, our energy specialist will determine your eligibility for the boiler rebate and, if eligible, provide you with an official rebate form.

So take that important first step now before you and your old boiler spend another long, cold winter together.

For more information about energy efficiency programs and rebates, visit NSTAR's Energy Efficiency section. Next month, I’ll discuss steps you can take for energy efficient air conditioning this summer.

Bill Stack is NSTAR's energy efficiency spokesman. He can be reached by emailing brightideas@nstar.com. If you're a member of the media and would like to arrange an interview with Bill,  please call Caroline Pretyman (617-424-2460) or Mike Durand (508-441-5831).