Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of North Shore
Good Neighbor Podcast: North Shore
EP #65 - Matt Kidd: The Endless Energy Advantage
Modern heat pumps are transforming home heating and cooling in New England, despite lingering myths about their effectiveness. Matt Kidd, owner of Endless Energy, refutes these misconceptions while showcasing his company's evolution from a solar energy provider to a full-service home energy specialist. With a dedicated team of 80 professionals covering heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical work, and MassSave energy assessments, Endless Energy provides Massachusetts homeowners with a streamlined solution for energy upgrades.
Matt’s own experience with MassSave insulation upgrades exemplifies the program's effectiveness, turning his 15-year-old home into a model of warmth during extreme cold. Endless Energy's mission is clear: making energy-efficient transformations accessible and straightforward for every homeowner. Learn more about their services at www.goendlessenergy.com or call 508-501-9990.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Yvonne Godfrey.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast Today. We have the distinct pleasure of having Matt Kidd with us today. He is the owner of Endless Energy and we are excited to learn more about his service. So let's jump right into it, matt, how are you doing today?
Speaker 3:Great. Thank you so much for having you on.
Speaker 2:It's a pleasure to have you, Matt. Please tell our listeners a little bit about your company.
Speaker 3:Sure. So Endless Energy is a home services company that actually touches a bunch of different areas that homeowners, in my mind, frankly need. The biggest area that we work in is heating and cooling, and we have a huge emphasis on heat pump, which, if you're in Massachusetts, you know that right now there are a lot of incentives for people to switch from fossil fuel systems to heat pump systems. That's our specialty. We've been doing this for actually about 13 years at this point, so we know a thing or two about it. We're not new to that game and so that is our primary focus.
Speaker 3:But we also have divisions that work on plumbing and electrical, and the other division that we have that's actually a pretty large division is we have one that focuses on what's called mass save home energy assessments and insulation that comes out of that. So that's really two teams. So we're a MassSave partner and with that we're helping MassSave conduct what a lot of people refer to as home energy audits or assessments. So we're coming into your home letting you know, like, what's efficient, what's not, what are little tweaks that you can make, and then we're helping you do that along the way. So the way we like to think about our company is that we really can help you through larger projects throughout your home or business and you have a one-stop shop. You're not working with a bunch of different contractors, you're working with one company and that's the advantage that we like to tell people that they have when they're working with us.
Speaker 2:Love it. So, matt, how did you get into this business?
Speaker 3:So I have an interesting road coming into this business. So Endless Energy in some form has actually been around for about 40 years. It actually started out of Pennsylvania as a water treatment company and then transformed into a solar company, and the gentleman who owned it his two sons were working with him. One of the sons decided to come to Massachusetts about 15, 16 years ago and so NLS Energy started in Massachusetts as a solar company. Well, about four years ago, that gentleman decided that it was time for him to get out of the business and I was looking to find a business that I could come in and grow, and I was looking for a company to come into that was somewhat mission driven and focused on sustainability and things that were good for the environment and good for homeowners, and so I thought it was a good opportunity to do that. I've come in.
Speaker 3:The business has changed a lot since I've been here. We actually have stopped doing solar projects. The solar market is a very interesting one in Massachusetts right now, but we grew tremendously in what the prior owner was doing. He was doing mini splits, which are a form of heat pumps. We've now grown that a lot and focus on ducted heat pumps and mini splits and all sorts of other things, but with a focus on systems that are good for the New England climate and also good for the environment.
Speaker 3:So you know, they're cutting down on decarbonization from households, and so that was something that was really important to me is that it was kind of a company that was doing something that was good, and so it's been a great four-year journey so far. We have a wonderful staff that at this point I think we're 80 people deep, something like that, and so we've got a lot of employees who are throughout Massachusetts, everywhere, and honestly, it's a joy to come to work every day and learn from them and hear stories about customers and help customers through their own journeys with either remodeling or whatever that might look like in their own homes.
Speaker 2:I'm sure the stories are exciting. That might look like in their own homes. I'm sure the stories are exciting.
Speaker 3:They're exciting and every once in a while you get one where you're like no, that can't be true.
Speaker 2:I can only imagine. So, matt, what are some myths or misconceptions that you've discovered in your industries?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. I think that right now, there are really two big myths that are out there. When we're talking about heat pumps in particular, the biggest myth is that they don't work. In New England, when people say that, they're thinking of heat pumps from the 1980s, heat pump technology has changed so much that you now have what are called modulating or inverter heat pumps, and these have been around actually for quite a while, and a lot of these are specifically made for cold climates like New England, and in fact, our company won't install systems if they don't function into negative numbers. So a typical system for us is functioning often at 100% capacity, down towards something like negative 13 degrees, and so it's pretty rare that you actually see temperatures like that in New England, and so that leaves us pretty confident that homeowners and businesses that we work with who are installing these aren't going to be in a situation where you know it's too cold or they're lacking heat, and so that's something that is a myth that's out there.
Speaker 3:The other myth that's out there, or maybe hot topic at the moment, is I know that there's a lot of focus right now on mass save and people are saying, oh, it's being added to my energy bill. This has been going on for years and years, and the reality is that you are paying into this program. It's a program that everybody should take advantage of, and so it's actually very sad to me when I see people say you know, oh, I'm not going to get an energy audit because I don't like MassSave. Well, this is a program, believe it or not, you're already participating in in one way or another, and so it's to your advantage to do it. And people say, well, it's not really going to make that much of a difference because maybe they have a slightly newer home. I always like to tell the story of my own home, which is about 15 years old, and we moved into it maybe 10 years ago and so it was relatively new when we did, and we have a boiler system there, so I don't have heat pumps yet, but that boiler anytime it would get about 20 degrees outside, it would really struggle to keep the house above about 62, 63 degrees. And I had the team from our company come out and do a mass safe home energy assessment and there were a handful of insulation recommendations and I said, ok, let's go ahead and let's do it. They did it.
Speaker 3:The winter that came immediately after. This was maybe three years ago. It was the winter where we had this like 24 hour stretch where the real feel was like negative 15 degrees, something like that, for about 24 hours, and we cranked our heat up the night before to about, you know, 82, something like that, thinking, okay, it's going to, the temperature is going to drop, this boiler's not going to keep up. We know what happens when it's 20 degrees outside. Well, lo and behold, we wake up in the middle of the night and then the next morning and we're sweating because it's so hot in the house.
Speaker 3:Because what they did through that program really fixed a lot of the insulation issues in the house and it held that temperature. That boiler was able to work that much better because of that, and so I really like to tell people that story because it busts that myth of what MassAid does. It really doesn't do that much. I can tell you firsthand. That really made a difference in my house and it's really made a difference on my heating bills and cooling bills too, actually as well.
Speaker 2:Thank you for elaborating on that. I'm sure you could elaborate more, but, as you mentioned, we're paying for it anyhow and we might as well take advantage of it. I think many of our listeners would want to know even more about that, so thank you for touching on that.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So, matt, outside of work, what do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:Well, I have twin six-year-old sons and they are quite a handful, so most of my time that's outside of work is dedicated to doing things with the two of them, and they are wild little children who have great imaginations, and so on any given weekend or night you'll find us kind of out and about at a playground or a park or going to the Museum of Science in Boston or watching movies at home, and so every day is kind of an adventure, because they just are always looking to do something and always looking to pull their parents into it. So it's always a fun time with them.
Speaker 2:Sounds adorable.
Speaker 3:Take lots of pictures. It's gone by fast. I still remember when they were like tiny little things that were in our arms and now, all of a sudden, it's like, yeah, it feels like you're starting to become a teenager here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, pretty soon. They'd be too heavy to lift, so take a lot of pictures. I think it's already starting to happen unfortunately, and embrace the moment, enjoy the moment and lots of pictures, yeah love it. Thanks for sharing. So, matt, let's change gear. Can you describe one hardship or one of life's challenge that you rose above and can now say because of it you're stronger and better what comes to your mind?
Speaker 3:Sure, one of the and this is more of a personal than a professional challenge, but I think it has lessons that have tied over to the professional side of things. I, very young, actually lost both of my parents, and so I lost my dad when I was 19, and I lost my mother when I was about 28. And so that was a very early thing and with that, it kind of forces you to have to figure out and I'm also, I'll add, I'm an only child and so there are no other siblings, and so with all of that, it kind of forces you to start to figure out things on your own and figure out, you know, how do you move forward and how do you overcome something that just seems so daunting. I mean, I remember, after my mother died, there's a house and there's all this stuff, and what do you do with it? I have no idea where to start.
Speaker 3:And that actually was a really valuable experience, because when you come into a business like when I came into Endless Energy it's actually not that different, because you look at it and you say, ok, well, this is a large company and I'm somewhat new to home services, and so how do we start with this? How do we start to make changes? And it just all seems so overwhelming. And going through an experience like that, I think, really helps because you know that you can find a path through. And the reality is there are probably a million paths, and maybe a few of them are the wrong and bad paths, but the rest of them are all paths that lead you in in generally the right direction. And so you have to you learn to have some faith that, uh, if you make pretty good choices along the way, you can get through pretty much anything absolutely.
Speaker 2:The journey can sometimes look daunting and rough, but you know, as you go forward, you look back over and you're saying, oh my God, I got through it and I think if I can get through that, I can get through anything. Absolutely. Keeps you going, oh my goodness, yes, that's hard, but thank you for sharing that. Yes, that's hard, but thank you for sharing that. So, matt, please tell our listeners one thing that they should remember about Endless Energy.
Speaker 3:I think the thing to remember about Endless Energy comes back if it's a project that hits a bunch of different parts, and I really like to talk about heat pumps here, because with a heat pump, because of the way that rebates work in Massachusetts, you often have to have a mass save home energy assessment.
Speaker 3:You have to do the insulation, you might have to do some plumbing with it and guess what? We can hold your hand through that whole experience, and so that's the thing that I always want people to remember is that we're here to take you through it. We're not going to say, okay, you've done this with us, now go to this other company and take this step. Now go to this other company and take this step, and so we're holding your hand throughout that. In fact, we have team members whose sole function is to help people get financing, to make sure that their paperwork is submitted, that that way you know they don't have to worry about things or have questions about things. Our team is doing it, sending it over to you to sign or to review and sign, and then we send it off for you. So that's a big focus for us is just making things as easy as possible for homeowners and business owners.
Speaker 2:That makes so much sense. It's nice to know that you can provide not just one service, but many service, and, because they like working with your company, they're able to feel so much more comfortable and confident in getting all the works done from all the categories that they need to focus on. So, matt, how can our listeners learn more about Endless Energy?
Speaker 3:Sure, there are two ways. Probably the best way is to go to our website, which is wwwgoendlessenergycom, and you can read about our services. You can read about blogs I write a good chunk of the blog so you can get my take on topics and things like that and you can also give us a call, and we've got folks who are on the phones who are happy to talk to you about services or answer questions about something like MassSave, and you can reach us on phone by calling 508-501-9990 calling 508-501-9990.
Speaker 3:Okay, great, so there's a live person to answer the phone, or is it leave a message? We have a team of people who will answer the phone and every once in a while, something slips through the cracks and, in the age that we're in, we now have this lovely AI assistant who picks up those calls. So you're not even really leaving a message. You're talking to this AI who. We've actually had staff members who's called in and have been tricked by this AI that they're talking to a real person. So it's actually pretty fascinating.
Speaker 2:Wow, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice. No, it's nice to be able to call a company and actually have someone pick up the phone to be able to call a company and actually have someone pick up the phone.
Speaker 3:That's key. I feel like that's so, so important, and you know it's something that we watch very closely to make sure that, like everybody's being talked to or responded to. And you know the last thing you want is somebody to feel like they're not getting communication.
Speaker 2:Well said, Matt. We really appreciate you being on the show with us today and we wish you and Endless Energy all the very best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPNorthshorecom. That's GNPNorthshorecom. That's gnpnorthshorecom, or call 857-703-9406.