First Freeze a Good Reminder to Think About Efficiency at Home, Nov. 13

As temperatures dip below freezing for the first time this season, NW Natural (NYSE:NWN) reminds customers of ways they can save even more on their home heating bills. “Our customers already save more than 60 percent on their energy bills by choosing to heat their homes with natural gas instead of using an oil or electric furnace,” said Dawn Johnson, NW Natural public information officer. “They can shrink energy costs even further with energy-efficiency improvements.” Here are five steps customers can take towards big savings: 1. Have natural gas appliances and vents inspected by a qualified, licensed contractor annually; 2. Clean furnace filters at least four times during the heating season; 3. Turn down the thermostat when away from home to trim heating costs 3 percent for every degree drop; 4. Seal air leaks and add insulation to save up to 20 percent on heating costs; 5. Consider upgrading to high-efficiency windows to reduce heating costs up to 15 percent. For help customizing and managing home energy-saving efforts, customers can log into NW Natural’s online Energy Analyzer at https://www.nwnatural.com/Residential/SaveEnergyAndMoney/EnergyAnalyzerTool. The tool makes it possible to plan efficiency projects based on how much time and money they want to invest and to track actual savings online. NW Natural also connects customers with programs to offset the cost of energy-saving improvements. For details, visit https://www.nwnatural.com/Residential/SaveEnergyAndMoney.