Seal the Deal: Energy Updates Provide Big Impact for Your Home and Wallet

Lowe’s Provides 31 Ways to Re-Energize Your Home in October

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Conserving energy at home isn’t only responsible, it can put money back into your pocket. What would you do if you had an extra $200 each year? Maybe purchase new flooring you’ve wanted for years? It’s not out of the question. A few home energy updates can save hundreds of dollars each year. October is Energy Awareness Month, and Lowe’s is making it easy to update and save with the 31 Days/31 Ways to Save program.

“Sealing and insulating your home is one of the easiest and most effective energy-saving changes that you can do”

Get started with a few key projects and then check Lowes.com/31Ways for a tip each day throughout October. By Nov. 1, you’ll be well on your way to a more efficient home and lower energy bills.

Seal and Insulate

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling bills by properly sealing air leaks and adding insulation in their home. The Department of Energy recommends up to 19 inches of insulation for most homes. So climb up to the attic and break out your ruler. If you have less than 19 inches of insulation, pick up Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free™ Fiber Glass Insulation and get to work. Insulation is a beginner DIY project and can be completed in just one day or a weekend.

“Sealing and insulating your home is one of the easiest and most effective energy-saving changes that you can do,” said Carter Oosterhouse, expert carpenter and host of HGTV’s “Carter Can.” “Inspect your home inside and out – even those spaces behind the walls and along the frame of the house – to locate areas that could contribute to unnecessary energy loss. This October, take the time to make just one or two energy updates to your home because it will go a long way to make it more energy efficient.”

Next, check for gaps, cracks and energy leaks throughout your home. Energy leaks are often found along doors and windows and in your basement and attic. These leaks might be hard to find, so use the Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector (Item #190847, $49.99) to locate the trouble spots in your home. Then, seal away. If you need some extra guidance sealing your home, try the Weatherizing for Dummies kit. You’ll have enough caulk, weather strip and outlet sealers to get your family on the track to a more energy-efficient home. Don’t forget, many energy-efficient updates are eligible for tax rebates through 2010, so now is the time to update your home.

Appliance Update

Don’t underestimate the cost savings hidden behind the walls and along the frame of your home. But the next step is to look inside the frame to detect hidden energy loss from old refrigerators, clothes washers and other home appliances. ENERGY STAR® qualified clothes washers use about 30 percent less energy and use more than 50 percent less water than regular washers. According to the EPA, ENERGY STAR clothes washers also will save about $750 over their lifetime on utility bills compared to non-ENERGY STAR qualified models. If your appliances are more than 10 years old, research your options on Lowes.com because it might be time for an upgrade.

To further protect yourself from sky-high electric bills – and save more than $500 over five years – the EPA recommends plugging home devices with standby power, such as TVs and stereos, into a power strip so you can turn them all off at once.

This year the EPA named Lowe’s the first winner of the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award in Retail. The honor is Lowe’s eight consecutive ENERGY STAR award for its leadership as a retailer of energy-efficient products. For more ideas on how to save energy at home, visit Lowes.com/31Ways or Lowes.com/EfficientHome.

About Lowe’s

With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.