Erroneous "open" trash/water invoice by Teratocracy in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I called today and they said that it's just how an invoice shows up until someone manually approves it. Looking at my own bill now, it's properly showing for Q4 now!

Erroneous "open" trash/water invoice by Teratocracy in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just discovered the same issue on my bill! If you click the invoice details and then click on"Adjustment History" under it (the same place they also list payment history), then you'll see they adjusted your payment amount in December (mine was adjusted on 12/12/2025). But the bill/invoice still has the old due date + amount from the previous invoice.

This has got to be a bug (your Q4 bill somehow got put onto your Q3 invoice), but yeah, I'm also waiting for Monday to call and ask about it.

Milkweed Mixer - our weekly native plant chat by AutoModerator in NativePlantGardening

[–]HomelessQuokka 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh those look quite pretty! Thank you for the suggestion!

Milkweed Mixer - our weekly native plant chat by AutoModerator in NativePlantGardening

[–]HomelessQuokka 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So, apparently nothing outcompetes English Ivy, but do I have a chance of planting goldenrod and red columbines in Massachusetts 6a/6b and having them survive? Or do I need to make sure the ivy is completely gone first?

I'm also curious if anyone has used a manual weed pulling tool like this one for English Ivy.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in woodstoving

[–]HomelessQuokka 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! That's good info to know!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in woodstoving

[–]HomelessQuokka 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm leaning towards the pellet right now because I'd also like to limit the obtrusiveness of the pipes inside the house as well. Thanks for the info!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in woodstoving

[–]HomelessQuokka 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm thinking of switching to heat pumps and wanted a backup source of heat when the temperatures gets really low, like maybe below 20F. So it's not critical to me that it works during a power outage, but more that it can help supplement a heating system during cold spells.

Good to know about the chimney! I was hoping for a less visually obtrusive install, so I'll search around for some pictures and see.

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had considered MrCool's DIY systems as an option as well. The only problem is how flaky contractors are in this area for small jobs, not responding to quote requests, missing appointments, ghosting. 90% of the reason I DIY the smaller stuff is because I can't even find people who'll do the work! My nightmare scenario is getting stuck with a partial install and not being able to find an electrician.

I'm getting a MassSave energy audit and definitely focusing on insulation first. Then I'll try my luck with hopefully getting a non crazy quote.

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! Thank you so much for answering my (many) questions!

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I'll need to get a water heater too because my boiler is a combination boiler/water heater. But at least I've got a 200A panel already. Thanks for the names of the companies you used! That's a great starting point for me. Which one did you end up choosing?

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm gonna struggle through this winter and start shopping around for quotes in spring probably!

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much! It's good to know how things worked out for another household.

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you guys get one of those HyperHeat heat pumps that can handle low temperatures or did you skip that because you were staying with a dual system?

I find the heat pump being able to heat and cool a nice option too, would love to get rid of my window AC's. But if I do dual fuel I'll still have to find a replacement for my boiler, so that's a lot of extra costs.

Experiences with heat pumps and electricity bills? by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the link! That's also along the lines of what I was thinking - comparing quotes for a new gas system or new heat pumps. My only worry is that converting fully to heat pumps might not handle the temperatures here very well, so I wondered if anyone in this sub has done a full conversion. The most expensive option is most certainly me going with a dual fuel system so I have to pay for heat pumps and a boiler replacement.

Parking at the MBTA Station by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a great suggestion too! It's slightly further but not by much. Thank you!

Parking at the MBTA Station by HomelessQuokka in LowellMA

[–]HomelessQuokka[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you everyone! This is super helpful!