RICHMOND, Va., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power is offering customers multiple ways to save money on their energy bills this summer. Programs with financial incentives offer customers ways to complete home-energy audits, upgrade mechanical equipment and tune up their heating and cooling units. Low and no-cost tips help save energy and lower bills.  

"Making minor adjustments at home can result in big savings on your energy bill," said Gianna Clark, vice president of Customer Service. "Dominion offers rebates that can cover the cost of having a contractor evaluate your home's energy efficiency."

Home Energy Check Up Program

When customers complete a home energy check up, they receive a personalized report showing the potential cost savings they could earn by implementing energy-saving measures. Participating contractors collect home energy consumption data to recommend and install energy-saving improvements including:

• compact fluorescent light bulbs
• efficient faucet aerators and showerheads
• replacement air filters for air conditioners
• door weather-stripping
• smart outlet strips

The program reimburses customers up to $250 in qualified energy-saving improvements. For more information on the Home Energy Check Up, visit: dom.com; keyword "conservation" or call 1-866-DOM-HELP.

"They actually repaired some things that will save me money," said Alan Lipford, a Dominion Virginia Power customer from the Richmond area. Lipford recently took advantage of the Home Energy Check Up. "There is no downside. It's a win-win situation."

Start Saving Today

You can save a lot with easy, do-it-yourself projects. The number one way to conserve energy is to set the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher during the summer months. A savings of up to 3 percent on cooling costs can be achieved for each degree the thermostat is increased.

"We recognize home heating and cooling systems can use a large amount of energy," said Clark. "Routine inspections can help those systems operate efficiently."

Sunlight shining through windows can account for up to 40 percent of unwanted heat gain forcing the air conditioner to work two to three times harder. Closing the blinds or curtains during the day offers one solution. Turning off lights and the TV as you leave the room or unplugging appliances are simple solutions that yield immediate energy savings. The following tips will help you save energy and money:

• In the summer, set the thermostat to 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature.
• Use programmable thermostats that turn up the AC when you're away.
• Turn off and unplug everything possible when not at home.
• Turn off ceiling fans when leaving the room. Ceiling fans don't cool spaces, but cool people by creating a wind chill effect.
• Replace or clean forced-air heating/cooling system filters monthly.
• Keep the water heater set at 120 degrees and insulate the heater and adjacent pipes to prevent heat loss.
• Close the flue to the fireplace when not in use.
• Use an outdoor grill during hot weather to reduce heat from indoor cooking.
• When closed and lowered on sunny days, highly reflective blinds can reduce indoor heat by as much as 45 percent.
• Consider installing LED light bulbs in outdoor fixtures for their durability and energy savings.

Energize Your Summer Contest

Enroll in eBill or the Heat Pump Tune-Up Program by June 30, and customers will automatically be entered to win a $500 grand prize home improvement gift card, or one of three monthly $100 home improvement gift cards. eBill, Dominion's paperless billing program sends an email notification when a customer's bill is ready to view and pay. For added convenience, eBill customers can make free same day payments from their bank account. The Heat Pump Tune-Up provides customers with up to a $90 rebate to help prolong the life of existing equipment. Additional details can be found at www.domsavings.com/energize or www.dom.com/ebill.

For more ways to save on your power bill, visit: www.dom.com; keyword "energy saving tips." For additional information about energy conservation programs, including duct testing, sealing and the Heat Pump Tune-Up Program, visit www.dom.com/savenowVA.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 23,600 megawatts of generation, 10,900 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,400 miles of electric transmission lines.  Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 947 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves utility and retail energy customers in 10 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com. 

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power