Virginia Natural Gas offers tips to help customers stay warm during extreme temperature swings
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Feb. 18, 2021 – As many areas of the country are facing extreme winter weather, southeastern Virginia is expected to experience cold-temperature swings and see fluctuations from the low 20s to mid-40s. With the drops in temperature, Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) wants to offer customers cold-weather tips to help keep their families safe and ways to save on their winter heating costs.
Frigid temperatures can make heating systems work harder, even without raising the thermostat. And while natural gas remains the most affordable way to heat homes, fluctuations in energy bills can happen due to higher usage during colder months, the number of days in a billing cycle along with the cost of gas, which can change month to month.
Virginia Natural Gas reminds customers that while many Virginians are spending more time at home due to the pandemic, there are many ways to reduce energy consumption and lower energy bills. The Energy Efficiency Program offers energy-saving tips, tools and resources to give customers more control over their energy consumption and bills.
Many efficiencies can start in the home – little changes can add up to big savings with these energy-saving and weatherization tips:
- Weatherize your home by caulking and sealing leaks around doors and windows.
- Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
- Relocate thermostats away from drafty or chilly areas.
- Replace furnace and air conditioning filters.
- Replace older, less energy-efficient gas appliances.
- Fix leaky hot water faucets.
- Repair windows that don't close properly. Replace single-pane windows.
- Clean dryer lint traps.
Customers can also take a FREE online home energy audit that provides a comprehensive report with personalized recommendations for saving energy in their home. They can also request to receive a free energy-saving weatherization kit in the mail that contains free weatherization materials for the home including weather stripping, a self-adhesive door sweep and rope caulk – easy to install and a great way to keep their home’s warm air in and cold air out.
For additional tips and tools to help control energy usage, customers can check out the Energy Efficiency Program, and consider enrolling in the Budget Plan program to help lessen fluctuations in bills year-round.
Media Contact:
Rick DelaHaya
o: 757.616.7510 | c: 757.323.7366 | rdelahay@southernco.com
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Virginia Natural Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Virginia Natural Gas provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service to more than 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in southeast Virginia. Consistently ranked in the top quartile for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the company also has been recognized by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and the Virginia Oil and Gas Association for its safety, innovation, environmental stewardship, community outreach and educational programs, and has been named Local Distribution Company of the year four times since 2015. The company has been ranked by its business customers as one of the most Trusted Business Partners in the utility industry according to Cogent Reports, and as one of the Top Workplaces in Hampton Roads by Inside Business. For more information, visit virginianaturalgas.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy company serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices below the national average. For more than a century, we have been building the future of energy and developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, advanced carbon capture technologies, natural gas, renewables, energy efficiency and storage technology. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation and a low-carbon future, Southern Company and its subsidiaries develop the customized energy solutions our customers and communities require to drive growth and prosperity. Our uncompromising values.
