AmerenUE Offers Tips to Help Customers Prepare for Heating Season
October 07 2008 - 3:03PM
PR Newswire (US)
ONLINE 'NATURAL GAS CENTER' HELPS CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND ENERGY COSTS
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AmerenUE is reminding
customers that weatherization and other energy efficiency measures
will again be important this winter. To help customers understand
where their energy dollars go, AmerenUE offers a "Natural Gas
Center" on its Web site, http://www.ameren.com/. The Natural Gas
Center contains many features to help customers understand and
manage their winter energy costs, including: -- AmerenUE's popular
"Cut Your Home Utilities Bill" poster, which provides room-by-room
tips for reducing energy costs; -- Links to other energy saving
tips; and -- The latest information on the many factors that affect
the wholesale cost that AmerenUE pays for natural gas for
distribution to its customers. The value of natural gas is
determined in a free market, where supply and demand set current
and future gas prices. AmerenUE passes these natural gas prices on
to customers, dollar-for-dollar, through the Purchased Gas
Adjustment (PGA) without any "markup." For customers who want to
ease the impact of typically higher winter bills, AmerenUE offers
the Budget Billing plan that "averages out" a customer's monthly
bills to minimize the effect of higher prices or higher seasonal
usage. For information, customers can call AmerenUE at
800-552-7583, or visit the Ameren Web site
(http://www.ameren.com/). AmerenUE also works with customers who
need to establish a payment plan and provides referrals for energy
assistance. Customers who may be experiencing a problem with a bill
payment are urged to immediately contact AmerenUE. In addition, the
company's Dollar More program enables customers and employees to
help the needy stay warm. Visit the Ameren Web
(http://www.ameren.com/) site for full information. AmerenUE
residential energy experts say lifestyle, family size, the number
of appliances, quality of home construction and degree of
weatherization are the key factors that affect winter energy bills.
The most effective action a resident can take to reduce energy use
is to weatherize a home for comfort and efficiency. The energy
experts offer these suggestions for home weatherization: -- Have
your furnace checked for safety and efficiency before the start of
the heating season. Changing furnace filters regularly also helps.
Filters should be changed more frequently if there are pets in the
home. Using a humidifier can help residents feel comfortable at
lower thermostat settings. Residents should consider replacing old,
inefficient furnaces, water heaters and other natural gas
appliances with newer high-efficiency models. -- Installing storm
windows and caulking are the best ways to reduce the infiltration
of cold air. Caulking is economical and easy to use. Generally, one
tube of caulking is enough to weatherize at least one average size
window. The most durable caulking contains silicone. -- For doors,
try weather stripping to keep cold air from entering the home.
Weather stripping materials include metal, vinyl, rubber and foam.
Metal with vinyl backing is recommended because of its durability
and flexibility. -- Set the thermostat a little lower. For each
degree it is lowered, you can save 2 to 3 percent on heating costs.
For maximum efficiency, experts generally recommend a setting of 68
degrees during the day and 60 degrees overnight (but don't set the
thermostat too low, or pipes in exterior walls could freeze).
Programmable thermostats can help reduce heating costs by allowing
better control of the settings. -- On sunny days, open blinds,
shades or draperies on the sunny side of your house to let in solar
heat. Be sure to close them again at night, to help keep heat from
escaping. -- Use ceiling fans -- especially in homes with high
ceilings -- to push warm air down and keep it from being wasted
near the ceiling. Fans should be set to run counterclockwise during
the heating season. -- Adding insulation to attics and walls can be
a significant energy-saver if your home was built many years ago
when efficiency standards were lower. Either blown or blanket
insulation holds heat so a furnace doesn't have to operate as long.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recommends an R-49 insulation
level for attics. -- An insulating blanket on water heaters reduces
energy waste from the unit. Wraparound hot water pipe insulation
retards heat loss as water travels through cooler or unheated areas
of the house. Water heater life will be extended and efficiency
improved by periodically draining the tank to eliminate the buildup
of sediment. -- Close off areas of your home that are infrequently
used. Close registers in those areas. -- Be sure the damper is
closed when you're not using the fireplace. Glass doors for
fireplaces save energy and heat by keeping cold air from coming
down the flue and preventing warm air from being sucked out of the
house. Without glass doors, as much as 26 percent of the heated air
can be drawn up the flue. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 makes
federal tax credits available for numerous home improvements
designed to increase energy efficiency. Federal tax credits may be
earned by installing qualified insulation materials, replacement
windows and exterior doors. Additional information is available at
the Energy Star(R) Web site (http://www.energystar.gov/). St.
Louis-based AmerenUE serves 1.2 million electric and natural gas
customers in Missouri. The Ameren companies serve 2.4 million
electric customers and nearly one million natural gas customers
across 64,000 square miles of Missouri and Illinois. DATASOURCE:
AmerenUE CONTACT: Susan Gallagher, +1-314-554-2175, or Mike Cleary,
+1-573-681-7137, both of AmerenUE Web site: http://www.ameren.com/
Copyright