Seal the Deal: Energy Updates Provide Big Impact for Your Home and Wallet
Lowe's Provides 31 Ways to Re-Energize Your Home in October
MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Conserving energy at home isn't only responsible, it can put money back
into your pocket. What would you do if you had an extra $200 each year?
Maybe purchase new flooring you've wanted for years? It's not out of the
question. A few home energy updates can save hundreds of dollars each
year. October is Energy Awareness Month, and Lowe's is making it easy to
update and save with the 31 Days/31 Ways to Save program.
Get started with a few key projects and then check Lowes.com/31Ways
for a tip each day throughout October. By Nov. 1, you'll be well on your
way to a more efficient home and lower energy bills.
Seal and Insulate
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners can
save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling bills by properly sealing
air leaks and adding insulation in their home. The Department of Energy
recommends up to 19 inches of insulation for most homes. So climb up to
the attic and break out your ruler. If you have less than 19 inches of
insulation, pick up Johns
Manville Formaldehyde-free(TM) Fiber Glass Insulation and get to work.
Insulation is a beginner DIY project and can be completed in just one
day or a weekend.
"Sealing and insulating your home is one of the easiest and most
effective energy-saving changes that you can do," said Carter
Oosterhouse, expert carpenter and host of HGTV's "Carter Can." "Inspect
your home inside and out - even those spaces behind the walls and along
the frame of the house - to locate areas that could contribute to
unnecessary energy loss. This October, take the time to make just one or
two energy updates to your home because it will go a long way to make it
more energy efficient."
Next, check for gaps, cracks and energy leaks throughout your home.
Energy leaks are often found along doors and windows and in your
basement and attic. These leaks might be hard to find, so use the Black
and Decker Thermal Leak Detector (Item #190847, $49.99) to locate
the trouble spots in your home. Then, seal away. If you need some extra
guidance sealing your home, try the Weatherizing for Dummies kit. You'll
have enough caulk, weather strip and outlet sealers to get your family
on the track to a more energy-efficient home. Don't forget, many
energy-efficient updates are eligible for tax rebates through 2010, so
now is the time to update your home.
Appliance Update
Don't underestimate the cost savings hidden behind the walls and along
the frame of your home. But the next step is to look inside the
frame to detect hidden energy loss from old refrigerators, clothes
washers and other home appliances. ENERGY STAR(R) qualified clothes
washers use about 30 percent less energy and use more than 50 percent
less water than regular washers. According to the EPA, ENERGY STAR
clothes washers also will save about $750 over their lifetime on utility
bills compared to non-ENERGY STAR qualified models. If your appliances
are more than 10 years old, research your options on Lowes.com
because it might be time for an upgrade.
To further protect yourself from sky-high electric bills - and save more
than $500 over five years - the EPA recommends plugging home devices
with standby power, such as TVs and stereos, into a power strip so you
can turn them all off at once.
This year the EPA named Lowe's the first winner of the ENERGY STAR
Sustained Excellence Award in Retail. The honor is Lowe's eight
consecutive ENERGY STAR award for its leadership as a retailer of
energy-efficient products. For more ideas on how to save energy at home,
visit Lowes.com/31Ways
or Lowes.com/EfficientHome.
About Lowe's
With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is
a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a
week at more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C.,
Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For
more information, visit Lowes.com.
Source: Lowe's Companies, Inc.