Home. Pumpkin Cookies. Comfor t s of. Winter Energy-Saving Tips. From PSNC Energy. fall AND The Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary

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1 Home Comfor t s of From PSNC Energy fall 2012 Pumpkin Winter Energy-Saving Tips AND The Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary

2 The water is perfect thanks to natural gas As the weather cools down, the season is just heating up for youth swim teams all across North Carolina. Competitive swimmers, whether a 7-year-old beginner or an 18-year-old veteran, have been hitting the pool for practice since September. And while the athletes work to improve their stroke and swim times, the pool venues must also be in shape for the winter short course season. With 1.2 million gallons of water to heat, we did some fuel cost analysis, and it became quickly apparent that natural gas was the way to go, added Wall. That s a decision that continues to benefit us. TAC annually hosts 30 weekend swimming and polo competitions and averages 35,000 guest visits per month. The Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary, N.C. is one such pool facility. At 5 years of age, TAC delivers top-notch training in an exceptional setting for competitive swimmers. As the state s largest public aquatic facility, it has a 50-meter competition pool, a 10-lane, 25-yard pool and a warm water instruction pool that offers perfect water conditions all year-round. And there s plenty of spectator room with seating for 1,000, which gets its own workout. Our regional meets can include as many 60 teams and 1,200 swimmers, said Wall, but our facility has plenty of locker room space, a café and a new hospitality room, so we re equipped to accommodate these kinds of events. The atmosphere we ve created with TAC makes us one of the premiere facilities in the country, said Derek Wall, TAC s chief executive officer, but we did our homework when we designed it. Wall explained that natural gas quickly became part of the plan because it is both efficient and responsive to the pools needs. The water temperature of a competition pool is extremely important, explained Wall, who grew up with a pool in his backyard and spent years in pool management before leading TAC. Half a degree can make the difference between a slow pool and a fast pool. Like many across the country, TAC s swim staff watched this past summer s Olympic games with keen interest. With natural gas, we have the ability to precisely control the temperature of all three pools, which is critical to the performance of our athletes, said Wall. We hope to be watching some of our own four years from now, added Wall. Several outstanding young athletes train at our facility, and we believe they ll be in the running for the USA s Olympic swim team in We keep our competition pool temperature at 79.5ºF, which is what I d expect to find at any Olympic-level swimming venue. The water in TAC s practice pool stays a little warmer at 84ºF. while the instruction pool is very comfortable at 88ºF. But Wall is quick to add that the TAC is about more than just competitive swimming. We re here to serve our community, so we re equally focused on providing programs that promote health, safety and recreation opportunities. Cost was another critical factor in the center s choice to use natural gas. TAC is the home pool for RSA (Raleigh Swimming Association) and New WAVE swim teams. To learn more about programs offered at TAC, visit triangleaquatics.org. s

3 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 cup butter, softened Perfect Pumpkin Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and this recipe for Pumpkin is sure to delight your family while filling your house with the warm aroma of the holidays. The even, steady heat of a natural gas oven will help your cookies turn out perfectly every time. 1 cup sugar 1 15 oz can pumpkin 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a small bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and spice. Set aside. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Then add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely. Yields about 30 cookies. Winter Energy-Saving tips Winter officially arrives next month, so now is the time to begin making preparations to help you save energy and money. Use these tips for some no-cost, low-cost ways to ensure maximum savings. Take Advantage of Heat from the Sun Open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home. Close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. Cover Drafty Windows Apply clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Check your local hardware store for this film, which is cut to size and applied to the window with heat from a hair dryer. Install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades on windows that feel drafty. Adjust the Temperature When you are home and awake, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable. Most people find that 68 degrees is a comfortable setting during the winter. When you are asleep or out of the house, turn your thermostat down even further to save more energy. A programmable thermostat can easily automate this process; if you have one, use it to your advantage. Find and Seal Leaks Seal the air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes ( plumbing penetrations ), gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets. Add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows. Maintain Your Heating Systems Schedule a service check-up for your heating system. Check your HVAC filter once a month and replace as needed. Do not cover vents or return registers with furniture or rugs. Reduce Heat Loss from the Fireplace Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open when there is no fire allows warm air to go right up the chimney. Lower Your Water Heating Costs Water heating can account for 14% 25% of the energy consumed in your home, so turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120 F). Get with the program Convenience and energy savings make programmable thermostats a good investment Today s savvy consumers are always on the lookout for tools that can help save them time, energy and money. And few investments are better at meeting those needs than a programmable thermostat. According to ENERGY STAR, the average household spends more than $2,200 every year on energy bills. Of that money, about half goes to pay for heating and cooling expenses. With a programmable thermostat, homeowners can save about $180 a year not bad for a device that can be found for as little as $20 at your local home improvement store. The key to success with a programmable thermostat is knowing how to use it properly. Taking time to program it properly, and then maintaining those settings, will create more efficient heating and cooling patterns in the home and lower energy bills year-round. HOW IT WorkS Programmable thermostats come with pre-programmed settings, which you can then adjust to suit your own household s patterns and lifestyle. The idea is to keep temperatures at energy-saving setpoints for long periods of times such as during the day when nobody is home, or at night, when everyone is in bed. It is possible to override these settings temporarily and make the area warmer or cooler, but be aware that you ll use more energy (and, therefore, spend more money) every time you override the programmed settings. If you re going to be away for a weekend or for a vacation, you can use a hold or vacation feature to temporarily override your regular settings and keep the house warmer or cooler while you re gone. (You can also set it to begin cooling or heating your house to your preferred settings a few hours before you arrive home, so your home is comfortable when you arrive.) To find what settings will work best for you and will provide both home comfort and energy savings, use the ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat calculator at delivr.com/1k692. ChooSinG AND INStallinG Programmable thermostats have several different features but come in three basic models: 7-day. Great for people whose schedules change throughout the week because 7-day models offer the most flexibility and allow you to set different programs for different days of the week. 5+2-day. This model keeps one schedule during the weekday and another on weekends, days. This model keeps a certain schedule during the week, but allows another schedule for Saturday and a third program for Sunday. After choosing the model that is right for your household s needs, you ll want to make sure it is properly installed. All power should be shut off during installation, and if you re not comfortable with installing it yourself, consider having a professional do the job. If you are installing the new programmable thermostat while upgrading your heating and cooling system, your HVAC contractor will be able to help determine which thermostat would work best for you and maximize the efficiency of the new system. Finally, remember to program it! The thermostat can only save you money when used properly. This article includes information from the Department of Energy s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Reprinted with permission from Natural Living magazine, copyright 2012 PRISM Media Group. All images courtesy of Biltmore.

4 1 2 Customer feedback leads to Improved Online Shopping If you ve visited the natural gas product pages on PSNC Energy s website lately, you may have noticed some big changes. But did you know all of the changes are in direct response to requests from customers like you? Who knows, you may even see some new features that you requested! 1 One of the first things you ll notice is our larger product selection. Instead of just showing a few log sets and one or two water heaters, we are now featuring a wider selection of our products nearly 60 so far. We plan to add even more by year s end. 2 Now when you select a product, you ll find more detailed descriptions and bigger photos. We hope this will make comparison shopping easier. 3 Another big improvement (and probably the most requested) is the inclusion of starting prices on most of the listings. Now you re able to see the competitive prices of our premium products. 4 We ve also listed standard installation prices for gas-to-gas switch-outs on some of our most popular natural gas logs and water heaters. Rotten egg odor? Know what to do. Natural gas is one of the safest and cleanest energy sources available, but it s important to know the warning signs of a leak. Indoor Signs An odor that smells like rotten eggs. Unusual noises coming from your gas appliances or equipment. Outdoor Signs Dirt or debris being blown into the air. Continuous bubbles from wet areas on the ground. Vegetation over or near a pipeline that appears discolored or dead. If you suspect a leak, warn others and walk away from the area immediately. From a safe distance, call us at and 911. We ll send someone right away to investigate. IFall might be our most perfect season. It s not hot. It s not cold. Here in North Carolina, the drop in humidity can give way to glorious weather perfect for spending a Saturday afternoon in a football stadium. But not every sporting event takes place outdoors this time of year. If you have a swimmer in your family, then swim meets are on your schedule. And thanks to natural gas, the water is perfect at swimming venues like Cary s Triangle Aquatic Center. Now is also the perfect time to review our winter energy tips and install a programmable thermostat if your home doesn t have one yet. In this issue, we ve got the details on how to select a model that meets your needs and doesn t break your budget. Just don t forget to program it. Unfortunately, not everyone in our service area will have the luxury of heat this winter. That s why PSNC Energy continues to sponsor The Salvation Army Heat Care Fund. We recently donated $60,000 to kick off our 30th year of support. Join us in celebrating this milestone by making a Heat Care contribution at psncenergy.com/heatcare. The heating season, as well as the hectic holiday season, is still ahead of us, but I hope you and your family are able to enjoy these last perfect days of fall. Happy Thanksgiving Finally, we ve added customer reviews to our pages. So far, customers have submitted more than 50 product reviews, and we know these numbers will continue to grow. If you ve purchased a product from us in the past, go online and let others know about your experience. We hope all of these enhancements will make your next shopping experience with us more enjoyable! To check out all of the new features, visit psncenergy.com/products. Get energy-saving tips and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox Would you prefer to receive Comforts of Home via ? Just visit psncenergy.com/comforts to sign up for the electronic version. Signing up for the electronic version will remove your name from the mailing list for the printed version of Comforts of Home. In-home Energy Audit Want to uncover more ways to save energy at home? Then consider having an in-home energy audit performed by PSNC Energy to help identify specific repairs or upgrades that will reduce your energy bills. A PSNC Energy audit technician will conduct a blower door test as well as walk through your home to inspect windows and doors, insulation levels and appliances in order to assess your home s energy efficiency. The service costs $25 and is available to current residential customers with natural gas heat or natural gas water heating whose homes were built prior to April 15, Should the audit tech find areas that need improvement, you can choose to have certain improvements made while we re still at your home. You can also apply the $25 fee toward the purchase of certain materials and equipment from our company. For more information about scheduling an in-home energy audit, call or visit psncenergy.com/home. Rusty Harris President and Chief Operating Officer PSNC Energy Scan the QR Code to learn more about The Salvation Army Heat Care Fund.

5 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT #71 Home Comfo r t s of From PSNC Energ y fall 2012 Pumpkin Natural Gas. Making Everyday Life Better SM Winter Energy-Saving Tips AND The Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary SEND STORY IDEAS AND COMMENTS TO: Comforts of Home, Mail Code B234, SCANA Corporation, 220 Operation Way, Cayce, S.C , comfortsofhome@scana.com, visit our website at psncenergy.com or call All rights reserved. Comforts of Home is published by PSNC Energy, a SCANA Company. PSNC Energy appliance sales, installation, maintenance and repair are not part of the regulated services offered by PSNC Energy and are not in any way sanctioned by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. There is no advantage to customers of PSNC Energy if they buy these products or services from PSNC Energy. A customer does not have to buy such products or services in order to continue to receive the same safe and reliable natural gas service from PSNC Energy.