Everyone knows that turning off a light or the TV when you leave a room saves energy. But do you ever wonder how much energy, and money escapes through your home’s outer walls, windows and doors every day?
As part of PSE&G’s ongoing effort to help customers use less energy and lower bills, New Jersey’s largest utility has partnered with home improvement expert Danny Lipford on a “Caulk Out the Cold’’ public service campaign to raise awareness of the benefits that simple, do-it-yourself home improvements, can deliver. In a video produced for the campaign and featured on Lipford’s “Today’s Homeowner’’ website, he shows how low-cost, energy-efficiency upgrades like caulking gaps in window and door frames and adding insulation can help reduce heating and cooling costs.
Lipford also appeared on morning television talk shows such as CBS This Morning that reached PSE&G customers across New Jersey, and amplified the message on social media.
Energy efficiency may not capture the public’s imagination like solar panels or giant wind turbines, but in practical terms it is every bit as effective in the battle against global warming. The average U.S. homeowner can save 15% on heating and cooling costs by air sealing their home, and adding insulation in attics, floors and over crawl spaces, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In New Jersey, the average savings is as high as 17%.
And that’s only the beginning. Caulking and adding insulation not only saves energy, but can make a home more comfortable, reduce outside noise levels and improve the value of a home. Nine out of 10 U.S. homes are under-insulated, offering vast, cost-effective opportunities to improve energy efficiency and comfort.
About 30% of the energy used in an average U.S. home goes to heating and cooling, and that doesn’t include water heating, according to the U.S. Energy information Administration. Around the world, energy demand for cooling has more than tripled since 1990, making it the fastest-growing end use in buildings, according to the International Energy Agency. So taking steps to seal up your home can be a powerful weapon in the battle against climate change.
PSE&G’s decade-long efforts to help electric and gas customers lower their energy consumption and costs reached a new level last September when state regulators approved a $1 billion commitment toward energy efficiency investments over the next three years, the largest commitment ever in New Jersey. Following that decision, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in January agreed in separate actions to allow PSE&G to commit approximately $875 million in total to provide its 2.3 million electric customers with smart meters and to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure in New Jersey.
Each of these programs will advance PSE&G’s landmark Clean Energy Future program, an initiative designed to lower energy costs, reduce air pollution, create jobs and help make New Jersey a leader in clean energy.
Remember, the cheapest energy is the energy you never use.
For more winter energy saving tips, visit: https://nj.pseg.com/saveenergyandmoney/energysavingpage/winterenergytips
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