WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC Paying too much for your electricity? Learn how to cut that bill

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Every month we have to pay for our electricity bills, but wouldn't it be nice if the bill didn't cost an arm and a leg?

The good news is that it doesn't have to be so costly to run a home, especially if you know how to spot the trouble zones.

Skye Dunning with Building Performance Specialists says just about every homeowner can bring down their electric bills.

"The common perception is that only old homes have these problems," said Dunning. "But this can be a problem for anyone. The joke is that we are building them faster than we can fix them."

One of the first things Dunning does when he assesses a home is use the blower door.

"What this device does is pull the house down to a certain pressure, which is where we measure the air leakage. At that pressure, we measure how much air is going through the fan and that tells us how leaky the house is."

The next step is getting a more specific reading on where the leaks are with the thermal imaging camera.

"Then we go through the house and feel for air leaks by the windows and doors. The thermal camera shows us just where air is coming in," said Dunner.

The Cape Fear Green Building Alliance will be holding a series of seminars in January to help people reduce energy consumption, save money and help the environment. The seminars are free and open to the public, and are being held in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties.

The seminars are part of the Retrofit Roadshow, an outreach program of the CFGBA that is made possible by a prestigious grant award from the NC Green Business Fund and ARRA.

Seminar topics will include how to determine where your home is wasting energy, what energy efficiency improvements bring the fastest results, do it yourself actions you can take, how and when to hire a professional, and what financial incentives are available.

Options for attending the seminar are as follows:

• New Hanover Public Library, North East Branch, 1241 Military Cutoff Road Wilmington, Saturday, January 14th from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• New Hanover Public Library Main Branch, 201 Chestnut Street Wilmington, Tuesday, January 24th from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
• Southport Community Building, 223 East Bay Street Southport, Wednesday, January 18th from 6 until 8 p.m.
• BEMC Corporate Headquarters, Hwy 17th North, Saturday, January 21st from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• Pender High School, 5380 NC Hwy 53 W. Burgaw, Thursday, January 26th from 6 until 8 p.m.

Those planning on attending one of the seminars are asked to RSVP at least one week ahead of time to Joy Allen at 910.470.5697 or joy.a@cfgba.org.

To contact Dunning, visit his website here.

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