WALL, N.J. - The fall colors and cooler evenings are a clear indicator that winter is just around the corner. While winterizing your wardrobe may not be complicated, preparing your home before old man winter arrives can be a different story. As the days get colder, the last thing you want is a frigid home.

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

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

  • Add insulation to your attic. It's one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable. Also, check the insulation in your basement walls, floors and crawl space 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 infiltrates 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. Remember to replace your CO detector every five to seven years as per manufacturers' recommendations.
  • Ensure your heating system is operating at peak performance. A preseason inspection and routine maintenance performed by a professional heating contractor can help ensure your heating system is operating efficiently and effectively. 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 your furnace's air filter. Clean or replace your furnace's air filter 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 right up the chimney.
  • Use a programmable thermostat and keep it at a moderate temperature in the winter. Every 24-hour period the heat is lowered by one degree can result in a three percent savings on your heating bill.

Spending a few minutes preparing now can help 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. Customers can use NJNG's Conserve to Preserve Dashboard for a customized online energy audit and recommendations to make your home more energy-efficient and comfortable. Also visit savegreenproject.com to see what rebates and incentives are available to help make energy-efficiency upgrades more affordable.

About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution and asset management. With annual revenues in excess of $3 billion, NJR is comprised of five primary businesses:

  • New Jersey Natural Gas is NJR's principal subsidiary that operates and maintains over 7,000 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve over half a million customers in New Jersey's Monmouth, Ocean and parts of Morris and Middlesex counties.
  • NJR Energy Services manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services to its customers across North America.
  • NJR Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar and onshore wind projects with a total capacity of over 130 megawatts, providing residential and commercial customers with low-carbon solutions.
  • NJR Midstream serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers through its equity ownership in a natural gas storage facility and Dominion Midstream Partners, LP.
  • NJR Home Services provides heating, central air conditioning, standby generators, solar and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential homes and businesses throughout New Jersey and serves approximately 117,000 service contract customers.

NJR and its nearly 1,000 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.

For more information about NJR:

Visit www.njresources.com.
Follow us on Twitter @NJNaturalGas.
'Like' us on facebook.com/NewJerseyNaturalGas.
Download our free NJR investor relations app for iPad, iPhone and Android.

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