For Immediate Release s300

Media Advisory

For immediate release: October 1, 2010

Energy Awareness Month – The Perfect Time to Ramp Up Energy Conservation at Home and Work

October is Energy Awareness Month and a perfect time for homeowners to evaluate their energy usage. And, with only a few short months to take advantage of federal tax credits, it’s also an ideal time to reduce energy consumption at home and work.

CertainTeed Corporation, a leading building products manufacturer, offers the following tips to increase comfort and savings, as well as help homeowners qualify for up to $1500 in tax credits.

At home:

 Conduct an energy audit. A home energy audit will locate areas where implementing changes will be most effective in saving energy. Hire a professional that is Building Performance Institute (BPI) or ResNet certified or start by simply checking for holes or cracks around walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures and electrical outlets. Check for adequate insulation and bring your home up to code. If you can see the tops of the ceilings joists in your attic, then you will need more insulation. Walls and other hard-to-reach areas can be assessed by a professional.

 Increase comfort with insulation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates a homeowner can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by sealing and insulating around the home. Installing InsulSafe SP® Premium Fiberglass Blowing Wool in your attic is an easy, safe and effective way to save energy.

 Don’t overlook the foundation. Homeowners now have a new way to reduce energy bills. By installing the EnergyEdge® System to the exposed slab edge of the home, homeowners can save 10 percent or more in heating costs. The system also qualifies for the federal energy tax credit.

 Use a programmable thermostat. There’s no need to keep thermostats at one constant temperature when you’re gone for the day. According to ENERGY STAR, using a Media Advisory Energy Awareness Month– Page 2 of 3

programmable thermostat that resets itself during the day can save up to $180 a year in energy costs.

 Put your roof to work. A roof can do more than protect your home from inclement weather, it can make it more energy efficient. Solar reflective roofing shingles, such as Landmark SolarisTM, can reduce the amount of energy needed to air condition a home in the summer and help keep heat in during the colder months. In addition, CertainTeed offers a wide array of roofing shingles that are ENERGY STAR® certified and qualify for federal tax credits.

 Turn off unnecessary appliances. Be sure to turn off and unplug appliances around the house, such as turning off lights and televisions when leaving a room and unplugging coffee makers, toasters and other appliances when not in use. Plug home electronics into power strips and turn off the power strip when the equipment is not in use.

At Work:

 Start with a team. Forming an alliance helps workplaces transition into energy-efficient atmospheres. Recruit a “Green Team” at work and visit www.energystar.com for a team checklist to help get you started.

 Unplug at work. Make sure you unplug electronic chargers such as laptops, phones and battery packs once they are charged. Remember chargers and adapters plugged into outlets are using energy even if they are not charging.

 Light up your life at work. Encourage your office to replace lighting with ENERGY STAR® rated Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs), which use up to 75 percent less energy. At the end of the day, make sure lights are switched off.

 Keep vents clear at work. It can take up to 25 percent more energy to circulate air into a room where vents are blocked. Make sure your vents are clear of files, furniture and clutter.

 Cut back on paper products and recycle at work. Switch to dishes and silverware instead of disposable paper products and plastic utensils. Also, encouraging others to recycle products will make a big difference on an office’s environmental impact. Media Advisory Energy Awareness Month– Page 3 of 3

Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the cans.

For more information, visit http://www.certainteed.com/energytaxcredit/.

Images, product samples and industry comments are available upon request. To speak to an expert, contact Mike Loughery of CertainTeed Corporation at mike.b.loughery@saint- gobain.com or 610-341-7328.

About CertainTeed Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009 and 2010, CertainTeed, which is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a national award that recognizes environmentally responsible corporations. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2009. www.certainteed.com