MELROSE — Thank you to all residents who filled out the City’s Household Heating Survey included in this year’s City Census. We received responses from over 50% of the residential buildings in Melrose a very impressive response rate. These responses will be used to update the City’s records on building stock (heating system information is already in City records but has not been kept up to date) and will be used to target the City’s energy efficiency and clean heating outreach to residents most likely to benefit from local, state and federal incentives and programs.
The survey showed us: over 24% of single family home respondents have installed heat pumps; of those, over 20% report using heat pumps as their primary heating system and 10% rely on heat pumps with no fossil fuel (gas, oil or propane) backup; use of oil for primary heating has declined dramatically something we knew from census bureau data. For example, of the single family home respondents that were on oil heat according to city records dating back decades, 40% have moved to natural gas heat and 5% to heat pumps; and a few of the City’s larger residential buildings have seen residents moving to heat pumps as well including the Melrose Towers on Melrose St.
Interested in finding out more about the survey or about benefits and incentives for upgrading your heating system? Visit the Melrose Energy Challenge booth at the Victorian Fair, visit cityofmelrose.org/energychallenge or contact the City’s heat pump coach Susan Murphy at heatpumpcoach@cityofmelrose.org.
