Another suggestion for next year is to grow a super hot pepper or at least a "HOT" peppers such as a Habanero. Then dry them and grind them up. Use your banana peppers or Jalapenos however you want and if they are not as hot as you like, sprinkle a touch of the hot powder/flakes on them or mix them into the dish you are making that you want hotter. I am making some Salsa this week and will use some extra powder to adjust the temp as needed after I add the Bells and mild peppers that I will be using.

Raise more picante varieties is the best way to more picante chiles.

Raise red and yellow Bhuts, pick and dry, then use them as a heat enhancer in whatever you're preparing. One dried Ghost will really spice up a puny salsa. They dry great ' cause they're thin skinned...

Drought Stressing for Increased Heat Levels

Whereabouts in Taxachusetts? I'm between Lowell & Haverhill.

Stressing might help.. Like this year I'm growing Black Hungarian, Hot Wax, and Bulgarian Carrot peppers among a lot of others.. and they have seen some really wet and cold, hot and wet, hot and dry, and now dry and cold action. And crap, they are waaaayyy hotter than I thought they would be.
On the flip side of that, my Greek Pepperonchini are much sweeter and less hot than normal.

Add some tabasco to your watering can?

The more you ignore your peppers (without killing them) the hotter and more flavorful they become.

Doesn't work with wives... ;-)