Now is the Perfect Time to Winterize Your Home

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- With the chill of autumn already in the air, now is the perfect time to begin winterizing your home to increase its energy efficiency and your comfort.

As with all projects, the best first step is to develop a good plan. One of the best places to begin is with Dominion Virginia Power's free online energy calculators at http://www.dom.com/about/conservation/energy-calculators-help-find-energy-savings.jsp.

The online home and business energy calculators can help you quickly identify the necessary steps and potential savings, whether it is placing more insulation in the attic or installing energy-saving CFL bulbs. For best results, have your electricity bill handy so you can enter your specific energy-use information.

"We encourage our customers to use energy wisely and find ways to remain comfortable while saving money," said Ken Barker, Dominion vice president of customer solutions and energy conservation. "Dominion's website offers a wide selection of information to help our customers find the projects that are best suited to their particular homes."

To prepare your house for winter, some important steps you should take include:

• Replace or clean filters of forced air furnaces monthly.
• Have your heating system inspected annually by a qualified professional.
• Make sure you are not losing heated air through loose or faulty connections in your home's ductwork.
• Seal windows and doors with weather stripping or caulk.

In addition to the energy calculators, the Dominion Virginia Power Web site has extensive information about saving energy.

• For a quick, basic energy maintenance checklist, visit:

http://www.dom.com/about/conservation/maintenance-checklist.jsp

• For 10 important conservation measures, including short instructional videos, to help you save energy this winter, visit:

http://www.dom.com/about/conservation/winter-tips.jsp

• Simple, easy energy-saving ideas are available at:

http://www.dom.com/about/conservation/easiest-energy-savers.jsp

• Join an ongoing conversation about saving energy and helping the environment on the Dominion Energy Conservation blog at:

http://e-conserve.blogspot.com

Helpful information also can be found at ENERGY STAR® sites run by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Here are several:

• EPA Guide to Sealing and Insulating
• Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency
• Heating and Cooling Efficiently

With winter coming, Dominion also asks everyone to consider making a contribution to EnergyShare, a program that helps those in need keep their homes warm during the winter and cool in the summer after all other forms of assistance have been exhausted.

Customers can contribute to EnergyShare by adding an extra $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $25 or $35 monthly to their Dominion Virginia Power bills or by including a separate check for any amount with their payments. All contributions are tax deductible in accordance with Internal Revenue Service regulations and can be mailed to EnergyShare, P.O. Box 11186, Richmond, VA 23230-1186.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,600 megawatts of generation, 12,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines.  For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.  

Follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DomVAPower

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power

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