May 24, 2013
News 12 at 6 o'clock / Friday, July 29, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The temperatures are heating up, and who doesn't want to see their bills cool down? Georgia Power says they can help with in-home energy audits.
Jennifer Killingsworth, an energy service representative with Georgia Power, says the audits are a free service.
"We come into their home and walk through with them. We look at windows, doors, insulation, their HV/AC system," she said.
Beat the heat with these resources:
Information on local cooling shelters
Protect you and your family from extreme heat
Pick up a free fan from local nonprofits
On Friday, Killingsworth did a walk-through with Amy Markhalter, whose Summerville home was built in 1913.
"My mother kept saying, you live in a house that's almost a 100 years old. You might want to call Georgia Power," Markhalter said.
Killingsworth first checks over Markhalter's monthly bills and starts loading data into her iPad program.
"When I get to the end, there will be summary graphs. What customers may not realize is they could be losing as much as 30 percent of their conditioned air just through leaky duct work."
That's why Killingsworth checks out the attic, too, deciding Markhalter's home definitely needs more insulation up top.
"It can be quite a big problem. That's money out of their pocket that's blowing into their attic or their crawlspace," Killingsworth said.
Markhalter laughed,"She's given me, already, a lot of wonderful ideas and we haven't even made it to the basement yet!"
Other suggestions for an energy-efficient home include:
"Ceiling fans alone can make a room feel about 3 degrees cooler," Killingsworth said.
Keeping your bills down helps Georgia Power save money, too, which Killingsworth says ultimately makes rates lower.
Go to Georgia Power's website to hear more about rebates and incentives to make your home more energy efficient.
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