Denver, Colorado (2/9/2001) --- With the price of natural gas and home heating oil skyrocketing, Johns Manville, a leader in the building products industry, is launching its Insulate Now! Program in conjunction with its Performance Home® Contractors and dealers. Johns Manville has developed this comprehensive program for its contractors and dealers, so they are equipped with up-to-date materials to educate their customers about the importance of having the proper amount of insulation. These tools were designed to help support contractors' recommendations on how to improve a home's energy efficiency.
According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Energy, the cost of heating and cooling a home could increase as much as 50 percent in some areas of the country this year. These costs account for 50 percent to 70 percent of a homeowner's utility bills. Additionally, the Department says only 20 percent of homes built before 1980 are properly insulated.
Johns Manville contractors and dealers will re-evaluate the insulation in homes and recommend ways homeowners can reduce skyrocketing heating and cooling costs by adding insulation in certain areas of the home. During the evaluation, they will inspect attics and ceilings, exterior walls, floors and crawl spaces, pipes, ducts and water heaters. They will also assess how minor changes such as caulking around drafty windows and doors can block the loss of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.
"Our goal with this initiative is to build awareness for energy consciousness and provide our contractors with the best tools possible to help spread the message," said Scott DeShetler, director of marketing for Johns Manville. "Insulation is a homeowner's first defense for keeping a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The short-term investment of adding insulation now will lead to a great long-term benefit: lower utility bills."
Contractors and dealers will receive a marketing "tool kit" that will include: collateral material; generic news releases they can print on their own letterhead; Q&A and Quick Facts sheets for use with media and customers; and public relations assistance with local radio call-in handyman radio shows.
About Johns Manville
Johns Manville (NYSE:JM) is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building products. The 143-year-old Denver-based company had sales of $2.2 billion in 1999. Johns Manville produces and markets insulation products for buildings and equipment; commercial/industrial roofing systems; and engineered products, including high-efficiency filtration media, fibers, fabric and nonwoven mats used as reinforcements in building and industrial applications. The company employs approximately 9,700 people and operates 55 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Click on
www.jm.com for additional information.
