THE MESSENGER Page 1

Don't Waste. Insulate!

Properly insulating your home reduces heating and cooling costs, and improves comfort. R-values measure a material's resistance to conductive heat flow. The higher the R-value rating, the greater the effectiveness of the insulation. Below are recommended R-values for area of the home that should be insulated.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy

1-DUCTWORK Whether it's made of metal or plastic ()PVC) insulated ductwork protects your investment in conditioned air year-round. Minimal $-values of 4.3 are recommended for blanket-style wraps secured with tape. Insulated ductwork rated at R-6 is also available.

2-EXTERIOR WALLS There are multiple options for insulating exterior walls. Rock wool or fiberblass batts of R-13 ro R-20 value are preferred befhind drywall, but each inch of blown-in polyurethane foam insulation prvides an R-value of 3.9.

3-BENEATH LIVING SPACE Whether your home has a full basement, a crawl space or an attched garage, havinb an insulation value of R-19 under the living space floor will help increase comfort year-round.

4-SLAB FOUNDATION Properly installed foam board around the exterior edge of the slab of an existing home can reduce heating bills by 10 percent or more.

NAEC seeks Youth Tour participants

Youth Tour Red White and Blue Logo

North Arkansas Electric Cooperative is accepting applications for the 2020 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. NAEC will send up to five high school juniors on the all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 19-25.

The application is available at www.naeci.com/ youth-tour and at NAEC offices. The co-op must receive completed applications by March 13. Please call 870-895-6210 with any questions.

Scholarship applications available

The member-funded Operation Round Up® program awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to local graduating high school seniors each year.

The co-op is accepting applications for the 2020-2021 scholarship program. The application may be downloaded at www.naeci.com/operation-round-up-scholarship or found in the counselor’s office. Applicants must mail or deliver the typed application to NAEC by April 13. They must include a high school transcript and three letters of recommendation.

To be eligible for the scholarship program, high school seniors must graduate at the end of the 2020 school year, and their parents or guardians must be NAEC members. Applicants also must have a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale through the first semester of their senior year. The scholarship must be used to attend an accredited institute of higher learning on a full-time basis.

For more information, please call 870-895-6210 or email tmoss@naeci.com.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIP OF THE MONTH

Are you using your fireplace efficiently? Remember to turn down the thermostat when burning a fire, and close the damper when a fire is not burning.

www.energy.gov