PPLGiven a choice, you probably wouldn’t chop a 3-inch hole in the wall of your home. Besides being unsightly, it would let a lot of cold air inside.

By the same token, if you have a ¼-inch gap at the base of your 3-foot-wide front door and don’t do anything about it, you may as well have that hole in the wall. It has the same effect when it comes to heat loss.

October is National Energy Awareness Month. It’s a great time to focus on ways to save energy in your home and take a greater role in managing your energy use. That includes closing up gaps around doors and windows, but that’s just the start.

“Though October is home to Energy Awareness Month, knowing about all the ways you can reduce your energy costs is important year-round,” said Pete Cleff, manager of PPL Electric Utilities’ energy efficiency and conservation programs. “Home weatherization is an important piece of the puzzle, but there are many other paths.”

Customers have a variety of options when it comes to saving money on energy, Cleff said. They include:

Shop for your electricity supply. Basically, two-thirds of the average residential bill is for the electricity itself and its transport over transmission lines. The rest is for delivery of that power, maintaining the grid, billing, and more.

Investigate rebates. PPL Electric Utilities’ E-power programs offer rebates on a variety of energy-efficient equipment. There are even special rebates for farmers.

Ask for your video. If you haven’t already viewed your personal energy use video, you can request one at www.pplelectric.com. It will compare energy use with prior seasons and give you clues on ways to save.

Use the Energy Analyzer. Using our Energy Analyzer tool is a great way to see when you’re using energy, and that can give you important clues to making changes.

Get an energy audit or survey. Having a qualified professional examine your home for energy efficiency shortcomings is a great place to start. Whether it’s a survey or a more comprehensive audit, you’ll get a good idea about what you need to do. Plus, we’ll install some energy-savers such as faucet aerators, pipe insulation and more, where applicable.

Check out weatherization programs. If you meet income requirements, you could be eligible for programs — like our Winter Relief Assistance Program — that will provide free help like insulation and even appliance replacement. All of our assistance programs can be found at www.pplelectric.com/billhelp.

“What National Energy Awareness Month symbolizes for our customers is the ability to make a difference for themselves through a range of options, many of them no-cost or low-cost,” Cleff said. “We urge all our customers to up their energy efficiency IQ and start to make a difference today.”

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), provides electric delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania and consistently ranks among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.