Homeowners, businesses offered energy-saving tips

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — In the wake of the country’s financial meltdown and banking mess, a concurrent drop in oil prices has already started to bring down the price of home-heating oil. But, those prices are still higher than last year. So, as temperatures start falling and furnaces get turned up, every effort to conserve energy can make a difference on a consumer’s bottom line.
    One way to take necessary energy-saving steps is through the non-profit Keep Me Warm program — a private outreach initiative that helps Mainers prepare for the cold winter months.  In its fifth year, the Keep Me Warm brochures contain energy-saving tips, resources and information on keeping warm like the expanded 2-1-1 system for energy assistance calls, ways residents can help each other and how to donate to the Keep ME Warm fund or volunteer with a local response team.
    Gov. John E. Baldacci said: “This is another way to get information out to all Mainers about important steps they can take to conserve energy, to obtain energy assistance and to help each other in these difficult times.”
    Brochures are available through the Governor’s Web page (www.maine.gov) or by calling the Governor’s Office at 287-3531.