Your First Line of Defense Against Home Hazards …page 2
Managing Your Energy Bills Just Got Easier …page 2
Your Body’s Most Valuable Weapon
WINTER 2012/2013
…page 3
<Company>’s
Smart & simple ways to enrich your home living.
— It’s About Time —
Heating Bills Making You Hot Under the Collar? So, what can you do about it? The It’s not looking good. This time last efficiency of your own home heating
year, we had good reason to start
yelling – I mean “forecasting” – that
Winter would bring higher utility costs. Without saying I told you so (I think I just did), it looks like
this Winter is going to be even higher.
The breakdown is like this:
Prices – This Winter,
tight global oil markets and elevated crude oil
prices could result in higher heating oil, natural gas and propane prices.
Demand – Total U.S. natural gas
demand is expected to be up this
Winter over last. This is partly from
colder weather in regions with large
concentrations of gas-heated homes. Supply – The severity of the Winter
nationwide will be the biggest, single
determining factor impacting the supply of energy.
system, of course, is the factor that will help you best control increased heating fuel costs. A Home Energy Audit is a great tool to help you pinpoint problems and provide energy use solutions. Don’t forget to schedule your TuneUp before it conks out on you. That’s the best way to make sure your system is running strong when the coldest days and nights hit. If your heating system is an older, inefficient model, a new system can pay for itself with energy savings and no repair bills. See? There are things you can do to keep your energy dollars where they belong. And, if you’d like us to review your equipment or ductwork in an Energy Audit, as a customer of ours, it’s free. Now that’s savings!
Visit www.<yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com for more great ideas for home & life, including: Money-Saving tips | Home & Organizing | Health & Food
by <NAME> The cold days of Winter are great times to gather in front of a roaring fire, serve up soothing soups and watch a little TV with family and friends. Yes, Winter is a great time for being indoors – as long as your indoors stays comfortable! Hopefully, your heating system is taking care of you the way it should. If you’ve had your preseason Tune-Up, you should be in good shape for the heavy use days.
…continued on page 4
<LOGO> Your Quick Call Comfort Hotline:
<PHONE> <WEBSITE> Hudson, Ink Corp ©2012
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Managing Your Energy Bills Just Got Easier…
— H o m e H ea lth —
Your First Line of Defense Against Home Hazards Common household hazards
are easy to overlook. The key to managing the risks? Preparation is a first line of defense. The first safety step is to keep a list of emergency telephone numbers by every telephone. Also, post the home address so that relatives, caregivers and children can easily tell emergency personnel how to locate the home.
Install smoke alarms (and carbon monoxide detectors), and make sure you and your family have a planned escape in case of fire. Also, know how to shut off electrical, water and gas sources. Have flashlights, candles and matches in easy-toreach locations for power outages. Other tips to keep in mind: Look for fire hazards or flammable materials near heat sources, and
Who Says You Can’t
Have It All?
2
Do l l a r s — Ma k e S ense
never run electrical cords under rugs. In your closets, use compact fluorescent bulbs, which don’t produce as much heat as ordinary bulbs. In case of a grease fire, don’t throw water, which can spread flames. Smother the flames with pot lids.
With all of the “outside”
factors that make juggling your heating bills a full-time job, here’s my one word of advice: Control. According to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, the average price of fuel will be 15%
Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) any place that water and electricity could come in contact. Make sure you can open doors if they’re locked accidentally. In a child’s bedroom, install non-locking doorknobs. Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs to keep infants and toddlers safe. In your garage, automatic door openers should have automatic safety-reverse features to trigger a reopening if a child or pet slips under a closing door.
higher for homeowners this year than two years ago, and 64% higher than five years ago. You can’t control the world fuel market, but you can take control of your family’s comfort – and costs. Even taking small steps such as these can
— W ei r d S c ien c e —
For discounts on repairs, longer equipment life, energy savings and priority service, join the club. The Comfort Club. Our Maintenance Agreement program comes with system Tune-Ups twice a year – plus priority perks for comfort and savings yearround. Call <COMPANY> at <PHONE> and find out more.
©2012
Put the Freeze on Colds Use these tips from
www.rd.com to keep colds from catching you this season:
Learn to love yogurt. The
University of California-Davis
found that those who consume a cup of yogurt each day had
25% fewer colds than those who skipped the yogurt.
Beware of your toothbrush. Microwave it for 10 seconds to kill any germs, or replace
monthly and after an illness.
save hundreds of dollars in heating costs this Winter:
— H ot N ews N ow —
Your Body’s Most Valuable Weapon
An Ounce of Prevention Even small things like leaky seals around doors and windows or inadequate insulation can increase your heating costs. Give your home a preseason inspection for any small repairs that can send your fuel prices spiraling out of control. Having your heating and cooling system cleaned twice a year not only saves on your bills, but also prevents problems and extends the life of your system. Choose Efficiency One of the most important things you can do to control energy expenses is to increase the efficiency of your home equipment. Models are now available that can increase efficiency and your savings. If your heating system is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment.
Embrace the humidity. Winter is dry – and an environment that makes viruses thrive. A humidifier keeps your nasal passageways and sinuses from drying out. Just be sure to keep it clean and change the water daily.
Vitamin C. Its antioxidant properties find and destroy potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals and can shorten the duration of colds. If you’re not prone to taking vitamins or just want to do more to stay healthy this Winter, there are plenty of other tips for staying well: Wash your hands often. Why? The Naval Health Research Center ordered 40,000 We’d Like to Friend recruits to wash Your Friends. their hands 5 times daily. Their We enjoy providing superior incidence of service, and we’d like to ofrespiratory illness fer the same expertise to your went down by friends and family. Just call 45%.
With the school season in full swing,
children are bringing home more than just homework; they’re also bringing home a host of germs. You can’t escape every germ, but you can prepare your body to fight sicknesses surrounding you. One of your most valuable weapons is often overlooked:
<COMPANY> at <PHONE> to let us know you’re sending another friendly face our way. To say thanks, we’ll take $20 off your next service.
©2012
Lower the heat in your house 5 degrees. Warm, dry air lets viruses thrive.
— Rea l G oo d F oo d s —
Good Eats = Glowing Skin? Summer isn’t the only season
that damages your skin. Sun exposure and its link to skin cancer are real concerns. But cool weather can also wreak havoc on otherwise healthy skin. Cooler months bring humidity loss and cold air that has very negative effects on the skin. What you can do… Healthy skin needs year-round care. Eating
a balanced diet with vitamins, specifically A, C, D and E, is as essential to healthy skin as it is to overall health. Vitamin A is the most necessary vitamin and can be found in yellow, orange and green vegetables, eggs, liver, butter and fish oils. Vitamin C can be a part of your diet by including citrus fruit and fruit juices. Vitamin D is an antioxidant and anticarcinogen. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that can help prevent environmental pollution damage. 3
My Word
Scan M e!
…continued from page 1
But if you run into any trouble, do give us a call.
we wish you all of the best that Winter has to offer.
If it turns out that your repair costs and high energy bills make a replacement system seem like the most logical route, you can count on us to give you our very best offer. Just remember, the sunnier, warmer days of Spring will be here before you know it. In the meantime,
<SIGNATURE> <NAME> P.S. Be sure to check out the discounts in this newsletter. If you can’t use them, pass them on to someone who can. Thanks.
Scan this QR code with your smartphone to view <your company>’s special online offer. Don’t have a smartphone? Send an email to <your email address> or visit <your website> for more information.
<ADDRESS>
<LOGO>
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage
<PHONE>
PAID
CO-OP LOGO Optional
“Who says there’s no rest for the weary?” Holiday seasons are busy. Frenzied. Hurried. Noisy. And then they’re gone. What happened? Remember when you were a child and could drift away without a care, celebrating a welldeserved rest? You still can… Take a moment (now might be good!) to reflect on what this Holiday means to you: Giving thanks, getting joy, and sharing both freely. We give thanks to you for letting us service your home and look forward to seeing you again.
Permit ##### Montgomery, AL
Connect —
M O r e S av ings an d G r eat N ews
Visit our HomeSense portal at
—
<yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com. You’ll find energy saving tips for the coming season, plus articles covering the hottest topics in home, health and savings news. You may even find a recipe or two! Visit <yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com.