For immediate release:
For immediate release:
June 17, 2011DATE
As Summer Approaches, Avoid the Spike in Energy Bills With These Useful Tips
Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, falls on Tuesday, June 21. We all know summer months can increase energy bills. To protect your pocketbook and maximize summer fun, CertainTeed offers the following tips to make your home more energy efficient.
Insulate to keep cool. Insulation does more than keep your home warm; it can help keep it cool too. Adding insulation, such as CertainTeed’s InsulSafe® SP in your attic, can make a home more cool and comfortable in the hot summer sun. The right siding, such as CertainTeed’s CedarBoards® insulated siding, can help boost energy too.
Use AC sparingly. There are several things you can do to make your air conditioner run more efficiently. Avoid using the AC when you don’t need it, and turn it off when you leave the house. Many thermostats are programmable so the temperature will automatically adjust when no one is home during the day. Also, keeping a clean filter means less air resistance for the unit and better air quality. If you are replacing your unit, go for an ENERGY STAR®-rated model that will save 10 percent more than a conventional model, which may qualify for federal tax credits.
Switch to fans. On days when you don’t need air conditioning, don’t use it. Rely on fans, which consume far less energy than an air conditioner. A portable room fan or a ceiling fan will create a healthy breeze making it comfortable indoors.
Get a cool roof. Your roof can give you a hand with your energy bill with solar reflective asphalt shingles like Landmark Solaris™ from CertainTeed. The shingles have special granules that reflect solar energy better than traditional asphalt, and can decrease the temperature of a roof by up to 20 percent during the summer months, thereby reducing energy consumption, and bills from your home.
Relax in the shade. Take advantage of shade as a natural air conditioner. Window shades and efficient windows can have quite an impact. Also, consider planting trees on the south and west sides of your home to provide shade and dramatically reduce interior temperatures. Keep AC units in the shade too — an air conditioner basking in the sun all day has to work much harder to cool your home.
Grill Out. Instead of using your oven inside, which will raise the interior temperature of your house, use your grill in the backyard. Cooking outside will save your air conditioner some trouble and create a fun family activity.
Get a cool roof. Your roof can give you a hand with your energy bill with solar reflective asphalt shingles like Landmark Solaris™ from CertainTeed. The shingles have special granules that reflect solar energy better than traditional asphalt, and can decrease the temperature of a roof by up to 20 percent during the summer months, thereby reducing energy consumption, and bills from your home.
Don’t add to the heat. Eliminating additional heat sources in your home, that you may not be aware of, will make your home much cooler this summer. Incandescent light bulbs use a significant amount of power, only a fraction of the electricity used is for light; the rest is wasted in the form of heat. Switch to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs for efficiency. Long hot showers have the same effect, raising the temperature and creating humidity.
Images, product samples and industry comment are available upon request. To speak to an expert, contact Mike Loughery of CertainTeed Corporation at mike.b.loughery@saint- or 610-341-7328.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2010.
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