Allegheny Power Offers Tips on How to Save Energy and Reduce Your Electric Bill

GREENSBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Colder weather is quickly approaching and so is the opportunity for energy savings. Allegheny Power’s Watt Watchers program offers many ways to help you save money when the cold weather arrives.

One big way to save is to purchase an ENERGY STAR^® qualified heat pump when replacing your old unit. These energy-efficient heat pumps can save you up to 27 percent on your energy costs every year. Depending on where you live, you may also qualify for rebates through the manufacturer, government or Allegheny Power.

The following tips address some of the most common energy wasters during the colder months:

Make sure your home is insulated to adequate standards—it’s the single most important step toward saving energy in your home. The easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate your home is to install additional insulation in the attic. If you have less than 6 or 7 inches, you can probably benefit by adding more.
Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with double-pane windows.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.
When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. Open dampers allow warm air to escape—24 hours a day.
Locate your heating thermostat correctly. Mount the thermostat five feet from the floor so that it can sense air that's representative of the room's temperature. Don't locate thermostats on the inner surface of an outside wall, in corners, behind doors, in closets, near windows or by a heat source.
Set your heating thermostat as low as comfort permits. Each degree over 68° F can add three percent to the amount of energy needed for heating and each degree below 68° F can save about the same amount of energy.
Reduce your annual heating costs even more by installing a programmable thermostat, setting it properly and maintaining energy-saving settings.
Keep the overhead door of an attached garage closed to block cold air from infiltrating your house. Also, keep the connecting door to the house and heated basement closed.
Make sure draperies and furniture do not block the heating registers in your house.
Open draperies on south-facing windows on sunny winter days to take advantage of available solar heat.
Use bath and kitchen exhaust fans only when needed during the heating season. Fans draw heated air out of your home.
Check your furnace filter regularly and replace it as needed.

For more information on how you can get your home ready for winter and control your energy bill, call a Watt Watchers representative at 1-877-928-8928. They can offer cost-saving information on topics such as energy audits, appliance rebates and more. Otherwise, you can visit our Web site at www.alleghenypower.com and click on your state’s Watt Watchers link.

Allegheny Energy

Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to 1.5 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com.