“If you’re a commercial electric or natural gas customer of NorthWestern Energy in Mon- tana, you’re probably leaving money on the table.” That was one message delivered to area business owners last week during the North Jefferson County Business Roundtable held September 13 in Jefferson City.
NWE’s Manager of Community Relations Howard Skjervem told about two dozen attendees reduced use, rebates and incentives are all options for lowering energy costs. Many businesses do not take advantage of those opportunities that include energy audits and programs to save money and lower energy demands, he said. Good insulation is one of the most cost-efficient ways to reduce energy costs, he said, but it is far from the only way to keep out unwanted cold and heat. Redoing the caulking around windows, something that shrinks over time, every 3 to 5 years is a good idea, Skjervem said. So is changing door sweeps and weather stripping every two or three years, he said.
According to a chart provided by Skjervem, per unit of heat, a natural gas furnace with 90 per- cent efficiency and shave 29 per- cent off the cost of a 64 percent efficient furnace and nearly as much off the cost to heat with a wood stove if the customer pays $150 per cord for the wood. Electric baseboard heat and an oil furnace are two of the most costly heating methods, says the comparison chart.
