UNION, N.J., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabethtown Gas announces approval of a series of energy-efficiency and conservation programs called energySMART. These new programs, approved by The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, support Governor Jon Corzine's energy infrastructure and energy efficiency initiative. Last fall, the Governor called upon the state's electric and gas utilities to invest in energy efficiency programs, create green jobs, and strengthen the state's economy. "Customers who participate in our new energySMART programs are provided effective long-term solutions to save money and reduce their environmental footprint," said Don Carter, vice president, Elizabethtown Gas. "Our energySMART programs enhance the incentives offered by New Jersey's Clean Energy Program and allow customers to enjoy significant cost savings on their energy efficiency measures while potentially increasing the value of their homes." New Jersey's Clean Energy Program is a statewide program promoting increased energy efficiency. The program provides information to help reduce energy use and offers financial incentives, programs and services for residential, commercial and municipal customers to save energy, money and the environment. "It's easy to participate in the program," said Carter. "By starting with a home energy assessment, customers can better understand ways to make their homes more energy efficient." The energySMART programs, which will be rolled out over the next several weeks, include: -- Residential Appliance Rebates - Customers may be eligible for rebates when they choose a high-efficiency natural gas furnace, boiler and/or water heater. -- Whole House Energy Efficiency Program- This program promotes a "whole-house" energy conservation approach by encouraging residential customers to implement a combination of energy-efficiency improvements (i.e., air sealing, eliminating duct leaks, adding insulation and high-efficiency equipment) rather than just a single improvement. This program has the potential to have the greatest effect on reducing natural gas consumption for residential customers. -- Commercial Customer Energy Efficiency Incentives - Elizabethtown Gas will provide rebates designed to enhance New Jersey's Clean Energy SmartStart Building program. Commercial customers may be eligible for additional rebates when installing high-efficiency gas equipment such as gas-fired boilers, furnaces, and water heaters. -- Combined Heat and Power Incentive - This incentive is designed to help commercial and industrial customers enhance energy efficiency through on-site power generation with recovery and productive use of waste heat, allowing the electric power grid to operate more effectively. -- Gas Cooling Incentive - Rebates are provided to commercial and industrial customers for the installation of gas cooling equipment. More details on these programs will be available in the next few weeks. Customers may get more information by going to http://www.elizabethtowngas.com/ and through inserts included in customer bills. Elizabethtown Gas will also conduct customer outreach to promote the importance of energy conservation and educate customers about the programs available to help them conserve energy and lower their utility bills. This is the second of two initiatives filed by Elizabethtown Gas and approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in support Governor Jon Corzine's Economic Stimulus Plan. About Elizabethtown Gas Elizabethtown Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources, provides natural gas delivery service to approximately 273,000 residential, business and industrial natural gas customers in New Jersey. In operation since 1855, the company serves parts of Union, Middlesex, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Morris and Mercer counties. For more information, visit http://www.elizabethtowngas.com/ About AGL Resources AGL Resources (NYSE:AGL), an Atlanta-based energy services company, serves approximately 2.3 million customers in six states. The company also owns Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, an asset manager serving natural gas wholesale customers throughout North America. As a 70 percent owner in the SouthStar partnership, AGL Resources markets natural gas to consumers in Georgia under the Georgia Natural Gas brand. The company also owns and operates Jefferson Island Storage & Hub, a high-deliverability natural gas storage facility near the Henry Hub in Louisiana. For more information, visit http://www.aglresources.com/. DATASOURCE: Elizabethtown Gas CONTACT: Tami Gerke of AGL Resources, Office: +1-404-584-3873, Cell: +1-404-358-2307, Web Site: http://www.elizabethtowngas.com/

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