House of Representatives

State of Tennessee

 

Contact: Kara Watkins (615) 741-1975

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dear Friends:

Last month, TVA and local power distributors began mailing a free energy-efficiency kit to every Tennessee consumer who completes a do-it-yourself Home Energy Audit.

This offer is part of TVA’s effort to help educate the public about energy efficiency while providing tools consumers can use to start saving energy and money on their electric bills.  To begin saving energy and money with your FREE energy-efficiency kit, all you need to do is take the energy audit.  The audit is available online at www.energyright.com.  A paper copy of the audit can be obtained from your local power distributor or by calling the energy right® Help Line at 1-800-663-1835.  You will need information from one of your monthly electric bills and about 20 minutes to complete the audit.

In addition to the free kit, participants who complete the audit will also receive a personalized energy-profile report illustrating their homes’ overall energy use and costs, as well as specific actions they can take to reduce electric bills now and in the future.

If consumers follow all of the recommendations from the audit, they could save as much as 20 percent on annual utility costs.

Each energy-efficiency kit includes a comprehensive “How to Save” brochure, two compact florescent light bulbs, which use 75 percent less electricity and last 10 times longer than traditional light bulbs, as well as the following:

    • A filter whistle that sounds when the heating or cooling system filter is 80 percent clogged and needs to be changed
    • Outlet and light-switch gaskets – insulation to help strop drafts and save energy
    • Faucet aerators (two) – water-saving filters that improve efficiency
    • Hot-water temperature card that measures temperature of hot tap water and indicates if thermostat adjustment is needed to save money and prevent water scalds
    • Energy-use thermometer gauge that helps check energy costs for heating and cooling.  Each degree that thermostats are set back for eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by as much as 3 percent and up to 5 percent on cooling bills.

I encourage you to take this Home Energy Audit.  And once again, all you need is one month’s electric bill and 20 minutes to complete the survey at www.energyright.com.  The webpage also includes useful information on energy efficiency technologies, cost-saving tips, an energy resource library and do-it-yourself cost comparisons.