Members of Mississippi Power were out on Tuesday, providing and installing weatherization kits to select customers. Keith Guillot, company spokeperson said, “October is National Energy Awareness Month, so we try to organize the events in the fall. We usually weatherize about 100 homes throughout our service territory.

“Today, we weatherized about 50 homes in Picayune. We handed out weatherization kits to each home owner which included winter-proofing items such as caulk, weather stripping, a low-flow shower head and a CFL bulb. Mississippi Power energy specialists spoke with each homeowner and explained how to use each item and how each will help use energy more efficiently.

“Our main goal is to educate our customers on the importance of energy awareness.”

The kits include: Weather stripping, window and door caulk, programmable thermostat, low flow shower head, faucet aerator, door sweep, digital wall plate thermometer.

Other recommended energy efficient items include: Compact fluorescent light bulbs, water heater blankets and thermostat magnets.

Guillot said, “It’s essential that our customers realize that they can take simple, low-cost steps to prepare their home for winter. Economical items such as caulk around windows and weather stripping under doors can make a difference on their energy usage. Even something as simple as replacing the filter on your heating unit each month can make it run more smoothly and consume less energy.

“The average home’s heating and cooling costs make up almost 50 percent of their energy usage. We recommend setting the thermostat at 68 degrees or the lowest comfortable setting. The average home consumes five percent more energy for every degree the thermostat is set above 68 degrees.”

For more winter energy tips,visit mississippi power.com where customers can learn easy ways to save energy and perform a home energy checkup.