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WALL, N.J. – With fall colors and cool evenings here, winter lurks just around the corner. And while winterizing your wardrobe may not be complicated, winterizing your home before old man winter arrives can be a whole different story.  As the days get colder, the last thing you want is a frigid home.

New Jersey Natural Gas urges customers to start thinking about winter and getting their homes ready for the cold temperatures ahead to ensure a safe and comfortable heating season. Properly preparing your home for cold weather can save energy, help keep your winter energy bills under control and keep you and your family warm when temperatures drop. 

As you prepare for the heating season, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Add insulation to your attic -- one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable. Also, check the insulation in your basement walls, floors and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your area by the Department of Energy.
• Seal gaps and weather strip to significantly reduce energy loss.  Air circulates in and out of your home from every hole, nook and cranny. Warm air leaking out of your home during the winter can waste a lot of energy and dollars. Now is also the time to check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector.  When homes are sealed up against cold weather, there is greater chance of dangerous build up of CO. Replace your CO detector every five to seven years, as per manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Ensure your heating system is operating at peak performance with a preseason inspection and routine maintenance performed by a professional heating contractor. You can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment.
• Get a comprehensive home energy audit. For just $250, NJNG energy auditors are available to help you identify energy-savings opportunities in your home before the cold weather kicks in. Or, if you prefer, call NJNG’s The SAVEGREEN Project® for a list of certified contractors at 877-455-NJNG (6564).
• Inspect the air filter in the furnace and clean or replace once a month or as needed to increase efficiency. A dirty or clogged filter will demand more energy and slow down the heating process.
• Keep the fireplace damper closed when your fireplace is not in use. An open flue allows heat to escape up the chimney.
• Use a programmable thermostat and keep it at a moderate temperature in the winter. Every 24-hour period that the heat is lowered by one degree can result in a three percent savings on your heating bill.

A few well-spent minutes now can ensure your home is warm all winter long. For more energy-saving tips from NJNG, visit www.njng.com and click on Save Energy & Money. Or, customers can sign up to NJNG’s Conserve to Preserve Dashboard for a customized online energy audit and recommendations to make your home more energy-efficient and comfortable.

New Jersey Natural Gas
New Jersey Natural Gas is the principal subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, a Fortune 1000 company, that provides safe and reliable natural gas and renewable energy services, including transportation, distribution and asset management in states from the Gulf Coast to the New England regions, including the Mid-Continent region, the West Coast and Canada, while investing in and maintaining an extensive infrastructure to support future growth. With $3 billion in annual revenues, NJR safely and reliably operates and maintains 6,800 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve nearly half a million customers; develops and manages a diverse portfolio of 1.5 Bcf/day of firm transportation and over 62.1 Bcf of firm storage capacity; offers low carbon, clean energy solutions through its commercial and residential solar programs and provides appliance installation, repair and contract service to nearly 135,000 homes and businesses. Additionally, NJR holds investments in midstream assets through equity partnerships including Steckman Ridge and Iroquois. Through Conserve to Preserve®, NJR is helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency. For more information about NJR, visit www.njresources.com, “Like” us at Facebook.com/NewJerseyNaturalGas, follow us on Twitter @NJNaturalGas and download our free NJR investor relations app for iPad.