Saving money is always good, so Columbia Gas of Virginia is offering a few services to its customers to help them save money by becoming more energy efficient.

Through the company’s WarmWise program, it is offering free energy efficiency evaluations, advice and kits to customers who complete the evaluation; rebates; and the opportunity to win a $1,000 gift certificate to the home improvement store of the customer’s choosing.

“I’m excited about this,” said Chris Griffin, manager of customer efficiency programs for Columbia Gas.

Griffin said that the WarmWise program and its home savings evaluation can help customers save money now and in the future through promoting energy-saving habits and the use of efficient products.

“When you’re looking at energy, it’s really a helpful tool for customers,” he said. “It offers a valuable understanding of where you are using your energy and tries to make recommendations on reading your energy consumption.”

The evaluation asks questions about the age of the home, how many people live there, how many rooms are in the home, its square footage, the main source of heating and cooling, how many specific appliances are in the home, and more.

After completing the evaluation, customers will receive a personalized report that will offer energy saving suggestions.

Customers will also receive a kit as a reward for completing the evaluation that includes two bathroom faucet aerators, a kitchen faucet aerator, two pieces of pipe insulation and two low-flow showerheads. This kit can help customers save up to $130 annually in energy bills and water consumption, according to Columbia Gas.

Additionally, customers that complete the evaluation will be entered to win a $1,000 gift card to a home improvement store of their choice. The contest continues through April 30.

Customers can complete the WarmWise Home Savings Evaluation on-line at www.WarmWiseVA.com.

There are also rebates posted on the site to encourage people to invest in energy-efficient upgrades. There are rebates for purchasing more energy-efficient furnaces, tankless water heaters, Energy Star windows, insulation and more.

“There are a lot of easy ways of saving energy that don’t cost you anything,” Griffin said.

He suggested a number of tips to cut back on your energy efficiency at low or no cost.

4Check the temperature on your hot water heater. It could be higher than you actually need it to be. A good temperature setting is 120 degrees.

4Turn off the lights when you are not in the room.

4Use power strips for your computer, cell phone charger, television and more. It is easier to cut off the power strip than to unplug all of your electronics. Many people don’t realize when they leave their cell phone chargers plugged in even when the phone isn’t charging, the charger is still drawing energy.