Energy Efficiency Makeover Rescues Homeowners From Scary Utility Bills
JELD-WEN’s Scariest Utility Bill Search Awards Energy Efficient Windows and Doors to One New England Family

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. October 01, 2008 — What’s scarier than an average winter low temperature of 10 degrees? A monthly heating bill approaching $1,100 – nearly as much as some homeowners pay the entire year.

That’s what homeowners Greg and Jennifer Quimby paid in December 2007 to heat their 3,073 square-foot home in Winthrop, Maine. As winners of JELD-WEN’s nationwide search for the Scariest Utility Bill, the Quimbys paid an average of nearly $3,000 a year to heat their home and keep their family warm during the coldest of winter months.

The Quimbys’ home, built in 1890, was in urgent need of an energy efficiency makeover – which is exactly what they received from JELD-WEN Windows & Doors.

“A home that’s using this much energy is a key indicator that there’s significant heat loss associated with the windows and doors,” says Brian Hedlund, product marketing manager for JELD-WEN. “With new energy efficient JELD-WEN® Vinyl windows, the Quimbys will see and feel a dramatic change in the comfort of their home and save a tremendous amount on their heating bills.”

Last spring as the snow melted, the Quimbys received new JELD-WEN Windows & Doors with the latest features to improve their home’s energy efficiency. New, ENERGY STAR® qualified JELD-WEN vinyl products replaced the drafty, leaky windows and doors that the Quimbys had been dealing with in their home.

“We moved into our home two years ago after living in a newly built house that was half this size,” says Jennifer Quimby. “We love the character of our home, but our heating bills were just outrageous.”

The Quimbys’ story is dramatic, but unfortunately not uncommon. Nearly a quarter of respondents in an independent research study commissioned by JELD-WEN have windows, (22.6 percent), and doors, (23.6 percent), that are drafty and inefficient. Using the same percentages, roughly 13 million single-family homes in the U.S. are wasting energy resources – costing money and taking a major toll on the environment.

Energy efficient windows are one of the best and most cost effective ways to seal the exterior shell of a home, which can improve comfort, lower energy use and lead to lower utility bills. According to the most recent ENERGY STAR research, homeowners can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10 percent on their total annual energy bill) by sealing and insulating their home.

About JELD-WEN
JELD-WEN, inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors. Based in Klamath Falls, Ore., JELD-WEN began as a small Oregon millwork plant with 15 employees in 1960 and has grown to more than 20,000 employees in nearly 150 locations worldwide. Today the company manufactures a full breadth of windows, doors and garage doors, and has earned numerous awards and endorsements for reliability, innovation and excellence. For more information about the exceptional value and reliability of JELD-WEN® products, or to find a dealer near you, please visit jeld-wen.com or call 800-877-9482, ext. PR196.