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 family-owned and operated business like us.
Our customers like seeing the familiar faces of our technicians and drivers who visit their home or business. And they also know they can count on seeing them if they have to call us for emergency service.
So you can imagine what a letdown it must be when a large corporation swallows up yet another local oil or propane company. Things never seem to get better for the customer after a big corporate shark swallows another local minnow.
That’s why we are 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 our local customers.
We want you to always trust us, so take a look at our online reviews: Our business is built on referrals, not advertising. We want you to be happy with our service and remain comfortable in your home. We really appreciate it when our customers take the time to offer a public “thank-you” by posting a review on our Facebook page, ReviewBuzz or other sites.
So, here’s to a happy spring, and as always, thank you for placing your trust in us.
Warmly, Mark Gagnon President
Some customers have asked why their propane tank gauge never reads 100% after a delivery. Here’s why.
The propane in your tank is a liquid, which changes to gas before it leaves the tank. But like all liquids, it will expand when its temperature rises. To make sure there’s room for the propane to expand safely, we typically fill tanks to about 80% capacity. A 500-gallon tank that’s 80% full will safely hold about 400 gallons of propane.
Keep in mind, the amount of propane in your tank doesn’t change when it expands and contracts, just its density.
We call this the 80/20 rule, and it’s especially important in hot weather, and with aboveground tanks, which are not insulated from heat like an underground tank. Propane gas expansion is also the reason you should never paint your propane tank a dark color: Dark colors absorb more heat.
Heating oil and propane are safe and efficient home heating fuels that keep getting better. Here are some reasons to feel good about your options.
Summer fun with propane
To give you a better idea about how “propane can do that,” take a look at some of your options for taking propane outdoors.
Grilling: Nothing beats the clean-burning precision of a propane gas grill. Whether you cook on a simple portable model or a high-tech built-in grill, you’ll get the same even-cooking performance, time after time, with no starter-fluid smell, dangerous chemicals, or mess.
Fire bowls: Many models have ignition systems that can be turned on and off with a smartphone or tablet. And unlike with wood fire pits, there’s no mess to clean up.
Lighting: Propane-powered outdoor lights can burn for just pennies per hour, and they can be matched to almost any outdoor décor.
Outdoor heaters: With freestanding or wall-mounted models available, you’re sure to find a propane patio heater that meets your needs and budget — and one that will work even if the power goes out.
Outdoor water heating: Enjoy a swim throughout the season by investing in a propane pool heater, which will heat your pool water quickly and efficiently — and far more effectively than an electric model.
What’s in your oil tank?
Thanks to research and development being spearheaded by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), heating oil is being made more cleanly and efficiently than ever before. The overall goal is to keep improving the quality of fuel and the efficiency of oil heat equipment. This will further reduce the carbon footprint and actually turn heating oil into a carbon-neutral energy source.
The industry is also working on the development of an oil-fired thermal heat pump, to provide more equipment options for oil heat consumers.
Challenges
With all of this in the mix, it’s no wonder that NORA has raised an alarm about a push by some states to encourage conversions to electric heat. Research has shown that such “policy-driven electrification” would increase the average residential household cost, result in minimal reductions in emissions and put a severe strain on the electric grid.*
“It is premature for policy makers to consider regulating against oil heating when all liquid fuel furnaces and boilers could be run on a low-carbon alternative fuel before 2035,” says John Huber, NORA’s president. “The capability of the oil heating industry to innovate and reduce carbon emissions has not been adequately recognized.”
* Source: Richard Sweetser presentation, NORA Technology Workshop, Sept. 2018. ** Source: Energy, Cost and CO2e Analyses of Reversible, Hybrid and Heating Only LF-AHP in the Northeast, Christopher Keinath, PhD, Thomas Butcher, PhD, and Michael Garrabrant, PE, ASHRAE, June 2018.
Safety with every gallon
We talk a lot about the importance of great service. And a huge part of that is safety — for your home and property, for our staff, and for the environment.
It starts with our fuel products. Heating oil is exceptionally safe. It won’t burn even if you drop a lit match into it. And the risk of carbon monoxide is minimal. As for propane, this is a clean-burning, nontoxic fuel that doesn’t pose a threat to soil and water above or below the ground.
Our staff is highly trained, and that training ensures careful handling and storage and prevents spills, accidents and injuries.
This end-to-end commitment to safety can’t be duplicated by the natural gas utilities. Problems with gas pipelines can often go undetected, and may result in property damage. Last year in Massachusetts, a faulty pipeline led to several gas explosions and numerous fires.
You can rest easy knowing that safety isn’t just talk with us. We deliver it with every gallon of heating oil and propane we bring to your home.
Cooking, heating your water and more
How many ways are you using propane at home?
Heat your home: propane-fired furnaces and boilers are much more efficient and generate greater comfort than electricity. And by increasing your usage, you may qualify for a lower price.
Heat water: propane water heaters can cost less to operate than electric units. They provide much more hot water faster, and come in both storage-tank and tankless options.
Cook: propane cooktops/stoves offer more precise temperature control and are cheaper to run than their electric counterparts.
Dry clothes: propane dryers are almost twice as efficient as electric models, drying your clothes faster and for less money.
Fireplace glow: imagine being able to start a fire with the flick of a switch. It’s possible with propane — and a propane fireplace delivers more heat into the room than a wood fireplace, without all the smoke and mess.
Emergency power: propane is a popular choice as a fuel for whole-house backup generators. And since your fuel is stored right on your property, you can continue to enjoy all the comforts of home until your power is restored.
An new oil heating system can save the average homeowner 20% or more on winter fuel costs. This may sound far-fetched, but it’s true, we’ve seen customers save this much!
That’s because of the way systems are made today and how efficiently they heat your home. Old heating systems were built with thick metal components that were poor at transferring heat. Many of these systems are still in use, and people who use them pay a lot more to heat their home.
Many people realize that a new, high-efficiency system could actually pay for itself in a fairly short time.
To see how much you can save with a new, high-efficiency system, reach out to us and we’ll be glad to crunch some numbers for you. We think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks to big increases in domestic heating oil supply, coupled with a reduction in global demand and a strong U.S. dollar, oil prices are well below the levels of a few years ago — and are expected to stay stable for the foreseeable future. The U.S. Energy Administration has described this as a “new normal” in heating oil prices.
While prices can fluctuate, you can feel confident knowing that heating oil will keep you safe and warm without breaking your piggy bank. And always remember that we offer programs designed to save you money and keep your heating costs manageable — no matter what happens with world oil prices.
Take advantage of our hard-hitting offers this season! These special deals expire May 31.
Single: SAVE up to $60
Get a heating and air conditioning system tune-up done and get a $30 discount on each service. Reduce breakdowns, increase efficiency and enjoy peace of mind. Valid through May 31.
Double: SAVE $300
During this sale, we’ll take $300 off when you install a Rinnai tankless propane water heater.*
Triple: SAVE up to $1,000
Install a qualifying heating oil system and heating oil tank and get $500 in MEMA rebates. We’ll match that with our own $500 rebate.*
Home Run: cool 2 rooms, save $1,500
Buy two indoor Mitsubishi Electric ductless mini-split systems and get a $750 rebate from Efficiency Maine. We’ll match that with our own $750 rebate.*
Qualified customers receive our own Security Blanket Coverage (extended 5-year warranty) on all of our equipment installations.**
*Sales contract must be signed by 5/31/19 and installation completed by 6/30/19. Other terms and conditions apply. Contact us for details. **Available for automatic delivery customers who get annual tune-ups on equipment we install.
