DATELINE: SOUTH BOSTON, MA…

Looking for a different way to trim your energy bill?

New Englanders often focus on the high cost of keeping their homes heated in the winter, but an often overlooked drain on the budget is the cost of heating hot water day in and day out, 365 days a year.

John Wood, founder and CEO of Hub Plumbing & Mechanical in South Boston, MA offers some food for thought if you’re in the market for a new water heater. Notes Wood, “Tankless water heaters may provide a more energy efficient alternative than conventional storage water heaters. Tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand, instantaneously as it is needed. Since tankless water hot water heaters don’t have a storage tank, you can save on energy costs since you’re not constantly keeping an entire tank full of water hot.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy “For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water—around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve even greater energy savings of 27%–50% if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet.”

With a tankless water heater, when the hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit where it is then heated – either by a gas burner in a gas fired water heater, or by an electric element in an electric water heater. Energy savings can be maximized on gas powered units by employing a model that utilizes an intermittent ignition device rather than a pilot light.

In large households, where there may be a demand for simultaneous multiple uses of hot water, two or more demand water heaters can be installed. Separate demand water heaters can also be installed to supply appliances that use large quantities of water, such as clothes washers or dishwashers.

Most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. Ongoing periodic maintenance and easily replaceable parts can also often extend the life of the unit.

If you had the foresight to buy a tankless water heater in 2007, don’t forget to file for a Residential Energy Credit with your 2007 tax return to be eligible for a tax credit of up to $300. Unfortunately, Congress has not yet enacted an energy credit for tankless water heaters purchased in 2008.

About Hub Plumbing & Mechanical

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical takes the plumbing industry to the next level, utilizing a professional, friendly, customer-centered approach. In addition to protecting your floors with red carpet, Hub Plumbing and Mechanical’s experienced plumbers also cover their work boots with stain-resistant boot covers, wear ID badges for security purposes, and arrive on time and smartly dressed in crisp, clean uniforms.

The company does not charge by the hour, but by the specific project. Hub Plumbing & Mechanical is available 24 hours a day and 7 seven days a week to provide immediate access and peace of mind. Dedicated 2nd and 3rd shift night dispatchers internally handle all calls at Hub Plumbing & Mechanical, not an answering service. The difference between the two enables Hub Plumbing & Mechanical to get real-time info on the customer 24/7 to expedite the call as efficiently as possible.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical was established in 1999 and now includes a staff of 16 full time employees. This full service plumbing company assists residential and commercial customers with code violations, sewer/drain clogs, garbage disposals, water heaters, water filtration, steam and hot water boilers, thermostats, leaky faucets, tub valves, gas pipes, appliance installation, and outside hose faucets.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical Inc. is located at 70 Old Colony Avenue in South Boston, MA 02127. For more information about Hub Plumbing & Mechanical call 1-866-HUBPLUMBING (482-7586), email services@hubplumbing.com, or visit www.hubplumbing.com.

DATELINE: SOUTH BOSTON, MA…

As the weather turns steamy, Hub Plumbing and Mechanical of Boston has announced the addition of residential HVAC service to help area residents keep their cool this summer.

Regular maintenance of central air conditioning units is often overlooked until that sweltering summer day when the system breaks down. Many homeowners then face the quandary of who to turn to for a timely response and reliable service. After repeated requests from customers, John Wood, founder and CEO of Hub Plumbing & Mechanical, took the initiative and recently added HVAC service to accommodate the growing need of Boston Metro residents for maintenance repair and replacement of their heating, ventilation and cooling systems.

Wood notes, “Keeping a central air conditioning system in top shape is important in avoiding costly emergency repairs as the dog days of summer approach. Ongoing maintenance is also particularly important if you’re thinking of putting your home on the market anytime soon.” According to the National Association of Realtors 2007 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences, central air-conditioning once again ranked as the most important feature for buyers, with 74 percent of the respondents listing it as being “very important.”

Central air conditioning may increase the value of your home – a key factor in the current buyer’s market. In the National Association of Realtors survey, 65 percent of those who purchased a home without a particular feature indicated that they would be willing to pay extra for central air conditioning.

Hub Plumbing and Mechanical’s signature Red Carpet service features experienced teams of licensed technicians who not only protect your floors with a red carpet, but also cover their work boots with stain-resistant booties, wear ID badges for security purposes, and arrive on time and smartly dressed in crisp, clean uniforms. Imagine actually looking forward to a visit from your plumber!

About Hub Plumbing & Mechanical

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical was established in 1999 and now includes a staff of 16 full time employees. This full service plumbing company assists residential and commercial customers with code violations, sewer/drain clogs, garbage disposals, water heaters, water filtration, steam and hot water boilers, thermostats, leaky faucets, tub valves, gas pipes, appliance installation, outside hose faucets, and residential HVAC service.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical was recently featured in a new book entitled “The Celebrity Experience” where Hub Plumbing & Mechanical’s Red Carpet Service was cited as an example of how it’s possible to create faithful life long customers by showering them with treatment usually reserved for celebrities.

The company does not charge by the hour, but by the specific project. Hub Plumbing & Mechanical is available 24 hours a day and 7 seven days a week to provide immediate access and peace of mind. Dedicated 2nd and 3rd shift night dispatchers internally handle all calls at Hub Plumbing & Mechanical, not an answering service. The difference between the two enables Hub Plumbing & Mechanical to get real-time info on the customer 24/7 to expedite the call as efficiently as possible.

Hub Plumbing & Mechanical Inc. is located at 70 Old Colony Avenue in South Boston, MA 02127. For more information about Hub Plumbing & Mechanical call 1-866-HUBPLUMBING (482-7586), email services@hubplumbing.com, or visit www.hubplumbing.com.