Title: Office Manager Been at company since: 1989 Role (or Roles since start): started as a CSR Interests/about me: I have 5 grandchildren & 2 great-grandchildren who keep me busy following their activities. Hobbies: love to travel, and read.
Mark Gagnon
Title: President Been at company since: 1989 Role (or Roles since start): Started out making deliveries, working with Techs etc in 1989. Became President upon my fathers passing unexpectedly in 1991. Interests/about me: Married with three children. Enjoy the outdoors. (fishing, hunting, skiing etc) Active in several community organizations. Two time Rotary Club President, founding member of Marshwood Education Foundation, Maine Energy Marketers Executive Board, South Berwick Building Committee, Coached youth soccer when kids were little.
Scott Hemingway
Title: Sales Manager Been at company since: July 2004 Role (or Roles since start): Develop builder and contractor networking programs, commercial projects, customer retention and LP Gas sales. Interests/about me: Married w/ 2 adult children and 5 grandchildren. Enjoy family time, golf, hunting and watching the New England Patriots and the Red Sox.
Mark Leach
Title: Director of Operations Been at company since: 1977 Role (or Roles since start): Driver, Service Tech, Sales & Operations / Safety - Training Interests/about me: my family, member of the South Berwick Fire Dept. since 1975, Safety trainer for Propane Gas Assoc. of New England, providing training for first responders throughout New England.
Mike Place
Title: Equipment Sales Been at company since: 2007 Role (or Roles since start): Started here as an Oil and Propane Service Tech/Installer. Learned Air Conditioning service and installations. Then moved into sales. Interests/about me: Spending time with the family, being outdoors, and camping.
Kent Davis
Started in the business by wearing the uniforms, painting oil and propane tanks, and threading pipe for his Dad and Grandmother in the late 70’s. He has learned the difference between working for a family owned business and a family operated business. Just because a family owns a business doesn’t mean they take care of their customers like they are family. That is one of main reasons Kent has worked for the Gagnon Family since 2006. The Gagnon’s both treat their employees and customers like extended family and operate their business with the same vision. Kent’s number one role is customer retention as he considers it an honor to visit with our current customers and sign up new folks and serve them with the best products in the industry matched with excellent support and service. Kent’s longevity in the industry equips him with a vantage point of seeing what works and what doesn’t from a management perspective, a technician’s view, and from our customer’s standpoint. Kent is our heating oil salesman and focuses too, on liquid oil sales and protecting our customers with oil pricing. Kent’s family has been born and bred in Eliot and they all have a special affection for the Seacoast area. Kent considers it a privilege to be able to work in his “homeland” every day of the week. Kent and his wife live in Eliot, serve their local church in Eliot, and find joy in helping local residents by serving Kittery’s Fuel and More Board, Incorporator of Kennebunk Savings, and State of Maine and Eastern Region Advent Christian Association of Churches.
Dan Richardson
Title: Service Manager Lifelong Eliot resident and graduate of Marshwood High School. Two adult sons, Shawn and Patrick. Has been in the industry, primarily on the service and installation side, since starting at Davis Oil while still in high school. Enjoys a round of golf and spending time at his families camp. Coached youth basketball for many years. Member of the South Berwick Rod and Gun Club and former member of the Eliot Fire Dept.
We hear it all the time from our customers. They tell us how much they appreciate doing business with a familyowned and operated local business like us. They also like having a real person, not an answering machine, speak to them when they call.
Our customers enjoy seeing technicians they’ve known for years visit their home to do work on their heating system. And they know they can count on seeing them again if they have to call us in the middle of the night for emergency service.
So I can imagine what a letdown it must be when a large corporation swallows up another local heating fuel company. (It just happened again!) Its customers feel a sense of loss, especially when it comes to that personal quality of service.
I am extremely proud of our long history of providing excellent service with a personal touch, and our team is continuously on the lookout for new ways to enhance the value we provide to our loyal customers. From reliable oil and propane deliveries to professional heating and cooling equipment installation and repairs, your comfort is our concern every single day — and night.
We aren’t just a fuel company — we’re your neighbors and we put you first. With another winter approaching, we want you to know we are always here for you.
I look forward to seeing you in the neighborhood.
Warmly,
Mark Gagnon President
Purchase a Rinnai propane tankless water heater by Nov. 15, 2017, and we’ll give you 50 free gallons of propane. Contact us for details.
The average household in the United States uses about 65 gallons of hot water each day. Are you paying more than you should to keep all that hot water flowing?
If you had a tankless propane water heater, you could stop worrying. By operating only when hot water is needed (and not using a pilot light), a tankless system can drastically cut your water heating bills.
Here are other benefits:
unlimited hot water. Imagine never running out of hot water in the shower — even if the dishwasher and the washing machine are running at the same time!
an easy fit. Tankless systems can be mounted on the wall; the units are about the size of a suitcase, which means we can put them in crawl spaces, attics, closets and other tight areas.
better for the environment. Tankless units generate 50% to 60% lower carbon dioxide emissions than electric storage tank systems.
Want to go tankless?Contact us today to request a free estimate.
Whether you use propane, heating oil or both, this information can help you make smart decisions — and stay safe and comfortable too!
Leave the repairs to us
Some do-it-yourselfers think it’s OK to tinker with their heating equipment, whether it’s a water heater, a furnace, a stove or a dryer. It’s not! This is a job that should always be left to the professionals.
That’s why we invest a great deal of time and money on training our technicians — to be sure that they are prepared to diagnose and fix virtually any type of heating system in your home.
So if your heating equipment needs a repair, the only tool you should pick up is the phone. A certified, highly trained and friendly technician will come to your home, size up the situation and get your system safely repaired.
NOTE:If you plan to add more propane appliances to your home, please call us so our experts can ensure that your new equipment is installed properly.
Use this guide to help you decide whether it’s best to repair your system or purchase a new one.
Repair
Replace
Age of System
Less than 15 years
More than 15 years
Older systems are less efficient and cost more to repair.
Cost and Frequency of Repairs
Less than 50% cost of new unit
Unit still under warranty.
Less than two repairs in last 10 years.
50% more than cost of new unit
Any repairs after warranty expires.
Any repairs after 10 years and older.
Efficiency of Unit
More than 80% AFUE
If it’s still efficient, it may be worth keeping.
Less than 80% AFUE
New units have ratings that exceed 90%. You save money long-term because of higher efficiency.
Note: AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency.
What should you do…
if you smell propane?
After only the quickest glance at the on-off knobs on your stove (to see if they’re the source of the problem), open some windows and leave the house. Do not smoke or use lights, appliances, telephones or cell phones. Go to a safe location where you can report the problem to us. You should also call 911 to report the leak.
if you smell oil?
This indicates a need for service because an oil heating system that has been properly maintained should never emit an oil smell. In many cases, a technician can solve this problem by adjusting the oil burner.
5 things you can do on your own
Keep the area around heating appliances as clean and clutterfree as possible. Keep combustible materials (newspapers, bedding, clothing, rugs) at least three feet away from heat sources.
If you have a steam boiler, check the water gauge periodically. Low water levels are a leading cause of shutdowns. Steam boilers should also be flushed when the water in the gauge looks rusty.
Change or clean the filters in your furnace about once a month; a dirty filter compromises efficiency and can even result in a shutdown.
Keep your registers, baseboards or radiators clean and unobstructed to ensure maximum heat flow.
Get to know which circuit breaker (or fuse) controls your heating system. You should also know the location of your system’s power switches. This will be helpful if you lose your heat and need to troubleshoot.
Something you can’t smell
One of the most serious problems you can encounter is a buildup of carbon monoxide (CO) in your home. Because this is an invisible gas that cannot be smelled, it’s what you feel more than anything else that can alert you to a problem. CO poisoning symptoms include fatigue, dizziness and nausea.
That’s why it’s so important to get your system checked and serviced on a regular basis. You should also have carbon monoxide detectors in your home — especially in your bedrooms. If the detector sounds an alarm, ventilate the home with fresh air right away. If you feel dizzy or drowsy, leave the house immediately.
check your vents!
Unlike older heating equipment, which vents combustion gases through the chimney, newer high-efficiency systems are typically directly vented through a side wall. Since the venting is near the ground, it could get blocked by debris.
If you have a system like this, walk around your home and check these vents regularly, especially after a storm. If vent pipes are blocked, take a broom and gently clear away any obstacles. An obstructed vent can lead to carbon monoxide buildup. It can also cause your heating system to shut down.
These past few seacoast winters have certainly been unpredictable, and that’s why we always hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We have an action plan in place for whenever the forecast looks bad.
We accelerate our delivery schedule to fit in extra deliveries ahead of winter storms and put extra staff on duty to handle increased call volume. Of course our fleet is winterized for the cold weather. And we always have plenty of fuel stored away for winter.
Not every dealer is willing to invest so much and work so hard to prepare and be ready to serve their customers under any conditions.
We’re always looking for ways to serve you better — and we want you to feel confident that whatever your needs are this season, we are ready and available to make your life a little easier.
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Right? Well, not always. When it comes to bills, customers have historically paid with a check they mailed after getting a fuel delivery.
However, with our fastgrowing AutoPay program, your payment can come straight from your bank account or credit card. In addition, you can opt to receive statements via email, which makes organizing your receipts much easier than doing things the old way, with printed mail.
With AutoPay and emailed statements, you’ll
enjoy increased convenience
save time
reduce paper clutter
save money on checks and stamps
Please call or contact us to request enrollment or to find out more.
Q: What should I do if I lose my heat?
A:First, remember that we have someone available at all times to help you. Our answering service (a real person, not a recording) will take your call, even after hours, and direct it to our technician.
Second, keep in mind that there could be an easy solution and you might be able to avoid a late-night service call. Your power switch may accidentally have been turned off, or you may have tripped a circuit breaker or blown a fuse.
If you lose your heat, start by visiting our troubleshooting guide, under the FAQ tab on our website. There, you’ll find easy step-by-step tips for both oil and propane gas heating systems.
If none of these steps resolves the issue, don’t hesitate to call us. We’ll get you warm again!
