Under-insulated American Homes Cause Three Million Blimps-worth of CO2 Emissions Each Year, EVERY Year (1)
November 05 2007 - 3:43PM
PR Newswire (US)
Insulate now to save money this winter, qualify for a federal tax
credit and prevent one-half ton of greenhouse gas emissions per
attic, per year (2) TOLEDO, Ohio, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Want to save money, save energy and save the planet? Head to the
attic. With oil prices flirting with $100 a barrel, the 60 million
American homes that are estimated to have under-insulated attics
not only face increased energy costs of up to nearly 47.3 percent
higher this winter, they're also emitting one-half ton more CO2
EVERY year (2) than their properly-insulated neighbors. Released
into the atmosphere, that's about an average blimp-full of CO2
emissions being released per block of homes each year. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/AQM194-a (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/AQM194-b) That's why
Owens Corning (NYSE:OC), the makers of PINK insulation, are focused
on getting the word out to homeowners on how you can save money and
do your part to make the planet a little greener: check to see if
you have enough attic insulation. With the Department of Energy
recommending an average of R-value 49 for attics, Owens Corning
advises that an attic have a minimum of 15.5 inches of fiberglass
batt insulation or 18 inches of blown insulation. Chances are, if
you can see your wood beams, you need more insulation. "According
to a recent McKinsey study, the single most cost effective measure
to reduce greenhouse gases is building insulation," (4) said Gale
Tedhams, director of sustainability for Owens Corning. "If we all
insulated to the Department of Energy standard of R-49, imagine the
difference we could make across the nation -- attic by attic, blimp
by blimp, year after year -- in saving money and reducing
greenhouse gas emissions." On top of helping reduce greenhouse
gases, homeowners can help reduce their energy bills as much as 20
percent (2) and qualify for a federal tax credit when filing 2007
federal taxes (5) -- which is important as the rising cost of heat
continues to take a larger chunk of Americans' paychecks every
year. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors'
Association, this year's heating expense for homes that heat with
oil will see the biggest increase, with the average family paying
$2,157.00 for the season, up $693.00 from last year. (3) "A
significant amount of a home's heat loss is through under-insulated
attics, but it's simple to determine if you have enough, and it's
easy to add more if you don't," said Tedhams. "Go up to your attic.
If you can see the wood beams of your attic floor, you don't have
enough." Owens Corning encourages homeowners to go to
http://www.insulateyouratticnow.com/, a site where visitors can
learn how to save on home heating and cooling bills, measure the
attic and find out where to buy insulation. To find out how to
qualify for a Federal Energy Tax Credit of up to 10 percent, visit
http://www.owenscorning.com/insulationfedtaxcredit. Homeowners who
want to reduce their home's energy footprint should consider other
energy-efficient upgrades such as: Installing a Programmable
Thermostat Why heat or cool the house when nobody's home? A
programmable thermostat can automatically lower or raise a home's
air temperature during the day. By regulating the temperature,
homeowners can save up to 10 percent on annual heating and cooling
costs. Plugging the Drafts Sealing the envelope of the home is the
first line of defense against drafts, so it's important to caulk
and weather-strip around all seams, cracks and openings. Pay
special attention to windows and electrical outlets. Unwanted air
leakage alone can raise energy bills up to 10 percent. Taking a
Home Energy Audit Understanding how much energy a home uses helps
homeowners determine what changes will save them the most energy
and money. For an easy home energy audit, check out the Home Report
Card(R). The quiz provides tailored recommendations for improving
home energy efficiency and can be found at
http://www.owenscorning.com/homereportcard. About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) is a world leader in building materials
systems and composite solutions. A Fortune 500 company for 53
consecutive years, Owens Corning people redefine what is possible
each day to deliver high-quality products and services ranging from
insulation, roofing and masonry products, to glass composite
materials used in transportation, electronics, telecommunications
and other high-performance applications. Founded in 1938, Owens
Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology
with sales of $6.5 billion in 2006 and operations in 30 countries.
Additional information is available at
http://www.owenscorning.com/. (1) The US could save up to three
million blimps full of CO2 emissions (the average blimp holds
approximately 200,000 cubic feet of gas) if all under insulated
attics in the US were insulated to the DOE standard. Estimated 60
million under-insulated homes in 2006 based upon a 2003 Harvard
School of Public Health study, The Public Health Benefits of
Insulation Retrofits in Existing Housing in the United States. (2)
Savings will vary depending on your location and weather
conditions. Calculations of energy savings based on a 1700 square
foot, single story home, with base case insulation and air leakage
levels equivalent to the average home built in 1965. Reference data
sources include the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) "Energy Savers Program". A
summary of the calculation details is available upon request. (3)
According to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.
(http://www.neada.org/) (4) The McKinsey Global Institute
(http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1911&L2=3).
(5) For qualified energy-efficient improvements. Refer to the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 and check with your accountant or the IRS
for further details on how to claim your tax credit. The color PINK
is a registered trademark of Owens Corning.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/AQM194-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/AQM194-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Owens Corning CONTACT:
Kerry Desberg of Owens Corning, +1-419-248-5939, ; or Lisa
Heathman, +1-503-295-1922, , for Owens Corning Web site:
http://www.owenscorning.com/ http://www.insulateyouratticnow.com/
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