Department of Energy Resources (DOER)

Tips for Protecting Your Oil-Heated Home through Hurricane Earl

If you are in an area expected to be affected by flooding from Hurricane Earl, and you heat with oil, please follow these tips from the Energy Communications Council to help keep your home and business safe.

Before a flood:

• If you must evacuate, turn off the heating oil supply valve at the tank before flood waters rise.
  
  If you must evacuate, turn off furnace or boiler emergency switch.
  
  Basement and above-ground heating oil tanks should be "anchored to resist movement" resulting from a flood condition, as recommended particularly to those in flood prone areas' by the National Fire Protection Association.

• If oil heat equipment has been flooded, be sure to shut off the tank service valve if you did not do so before evacuating.
  
  Look for any visible structural damage. If the tank has shifted, lines are bent or damaged, or you notice anything else unusual, contact your heating oil professional immediately.
  
  If your heating oil appliances and equipment have been underwater, they should be inspected before being placed back into service. Damage to pumps, filters, and electronic controls is a significant problem.

In Massachusetts, Clean Energy is Not a Distant Dream

Massachusetts has "gotten busy," wrote DOER Commissioner Giudice in this blog post about the Commonwealth's progress in reducing energy waste, developing more renewable energy sources, mobilizing municipalities, and growing our economy.