I'm sure that all of you have heard the terms "energy efficiency" and "energy conservation" for quite some time but now more than ever, these terms are attracting more attention from home owners and businesses alike.  At this time of year, many of us  realize the importance of energy conservation and energy efficiency due to the higher-than-normal energy consumption and higher electric bills due to heating our homes and businesses during the winter season.

One of the most difficult tasks for anyone desiring to consume energy more efficiently is to determine what construction methods and appliances are worth the additional initial investment and prove to save money over the long run by using energy more efficiently. 

In 2007, SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative sponsored a Residential Energy Workshop at the Williamson County Pavilion in Marion, Illinois.  The attendees at this workshop learned various methods to improve new home construction and modify existing homes including insulation practices, energy efficient heating and air systems, water heater efficiency, caulking, air infiltration and attic insulation in order to consume energy more efficiently and conserve energy.

Due to the success of this workshop, SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative is proud to announce that it will be hosting three Residential Energy Workshops with guest speaker Mr. Doug Rye, a nationally recognized energy consultant who some of you may know as the "King of Caulk and Talk" and the "Roy Rogers of Energy".  Mr. Rye will present a variety of methods that homeowners and businesses alike can implement in order to use energy more efficiently and ultimately save money.  The dates and times of the workshops are as follows:

Your Cooperative is a strong advocate of energy efficiency and energy conservation.  By making some improvements in an existing home or new home construction, many have an opportunity to apply more energy efficient construction standards and appliances that will result in consuming energy more efficiently, conserving more energy and ultimately saving members money.  We look forward to seeing you at one of these Residential Energy Workshops.

See you next month and as always, "We'll keep the lights on for you."