STORY CONTACT: Bonnie Jones

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STORY CONTACT: Bonnie Jones

PHONE: 706/367-6114 (office)

706/207-7973 (cell)

Stay Warm and Save Money This Winter

As winter approaches, be prepared to keep your house warm while keeping your electric bill low.

According to Jackson EMC’s energy experts, by weatherizing your house this winter, you can go a long way towards conserving energy with little or no-cost. Because nearly half a typical utility bill goes to heating and cooling, the key to conserving energy is making sure your heating system is running at peak efficiency. Proper insulation can help as well, since 31% of the air that escapes your home escapes through openings in your ceilings, floors and walls.

You’ll help conserve energy and money if you add the following weatherization and conservation tips to your winter to-do list:

Have your furnace checked by a professional. You should have your furnace checked once a year to make sure it is working at peak capacity. If your system is older, you may want to consider choose a new one with a high-energy efficiency rating.
Check your insulation. Begin by checking to see if your insulation has the proper R-value for your area. The higher the R-value, the better your insulation.
Consider adding insulation. The easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate your home is to add insulation in the attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure its thickness. If there is less than R-22 (7 inches of fiberglass or rock wool, or 6 inches of cellulose) you could probably benefit by adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between R-22 and R-49 attic insulation.
Add weather-stripping and caulking to windows and doors. As much as 30 to 40 percent of a home’s energy use is caused by air penetrating the home through openings. You can find the biggest leaks on a windy day by holding a lit stick of incense or candle next to windows, doors and other places where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weather stripping. You may also need to caulk between the foundation and siding, and wherever brick and wood meet.
Wrap up your water heater. Use a thermal blanket to reduce heat loss from your water heater. Insulate hot water pipes as much as possible to reduce heat loss.
Winterize your windows. If you have combination screen/storm windows, remove the screens, wash and store them, then install storm windows. If your windows are old and drafty, cover them with heavy-duty plastic, either taped or stapled to the window frame.
Keep your fireplace airtight. When your fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. It is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes – 24 hours a day.
Use the sun to your advantage. Open shades during the day to let in sunlight and close them at night to retain heat.

Jackson EMC offers its members a number of no-cost services to help improve their home’s energy efficiency, including the on-line Home Energy Analyzer ( a do-it-yourself energy audit kit and in-home energy audits. Members of the cooperative are also eligible for special energy conservation loans for home energy efficiency improvements.

Jackson EMC is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to 194,000 customers in metro Atlanta and northeast Georgia.

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