NW Natural was a company even before Oregon became a state in 1859. When you’re in business that long, you get used to thinking long term. That’s why over the years we’ve been working hard to encourage customers to save energy. After all, we’re in the great Northwest and we share the values of our customers and regional policymakers. So what have we done for the environment lately? Through our partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon, we encourage customers to adopt the measures necessary to make their homes as energy efficient as possible. We are over 149 years old. To us, thinking about sustaining natural resources and the earth’s ecosystem is just another part of the long-term thinking that’s gotten us this far.
Read on to find out more!
Energy $aving Web Tools
Home Energy Analyzer 
This tool will provide helpful information about your homes energy use. Your results will show you what equipment and areas in your home are using the most energy and how much energy and money you could save by investing in home improvements such as upgrading to high efficiency equipment or weatherizing. The results are specific to your home's characteristics and the analysis only takes about 5 minutes. Click here to analyze your home!
Affordable Energy Efficiency
There are several ways NW Natural customers in Oregon can get help with weatherizing their homes. Click here to find out how!
Going Green with Smart Energy
In 2007, NW Natural became the first gas-only utility in the nation to offer customers a carbon offset option – called Smart Energy. Smart Energy is a new option available to NW Natural customers that gives them an easy way to offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their natural gas use. This new program empowers consumers and businesses alike to take a deliberate step to fight climate change and reduce their own carbon footprint.
Smart Energy works by customer’s making a voluntary contribution toward investment in carbon offset projects in the region which effectively neutralizes the greenhouse gas effect their natural gas use has on the atmosphere. While many types of projects can provide positive environmental benefits, NW Natural will focus on biogas, which has the greatest potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
So how can you stay warm and comfortable this winter while doing your part to protect the environment?
First, use energy wisely. Install high-efficiency equipment whenever possible and make sure your home is weatherized. Visit for tips on conservation and weatherization.
Second, offset the rest. Become a Smart Energy customer. To sign-up and for more information visit
NW Natural, Doing Their Part
Currently, NWN is offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions from the natural gas used to heat their facilities! This results in the removal of more than 4,200 tons of CO2 over the next five years. With additional contributions from customers like you, Oregonians could offset thousands of tons of carbon dioxide!
Energy Efficiency Tips
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1. Have your furnace and gas appliances serviced annually by a qualified contractor to ensure maximum energy-efficiency and safety. For a list of NW Natural Certified Contractors CLICK HERE or call 877-243-5855.
2. Put on your favorite sweater and set your thermostat between 65 and 68 degrees during the winter. For sleep hours, set the temperature at least 5 degrees lower and add a cozy blanket to your bed. Bear in mind that warmer temperatures are recommended for homes with ill or elderly persons or infants.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and set it to accurately follow your schedule. If no one is home during the day, there’s no need to keep your house warm.
4. Replace or clean your furnace filters monthly during high-operating season, but a minimum of four times a year. And keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted.
5. Adjust vents to keep specific rooms in your home at a desired temperature. Heat rises, so you may want to partially close upstairs vents. Do not close more than one or two vents in an average sized house. Restricting airflow too much can shorten the life of your furnace.
6. Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly in cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow away a houseful of warm air.
7. Seal leaks around doors, windows and other openings, such as pipes or ducts, with caulking or weather-stripping.
8. Have your ducts tested for air leakage. Leaking ducts can reduce the efficiency of your heating system by up to 30 percent.
9. Plug gaps around pipes, fans and vents that go through exterior walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces.
10. Avoid blocking heating vents and air returns with furniture, draperies or carpet.
11. Make sure the “standby” power-saving feature on your home computer is turned on.
12. Properly insulate attics, floors and walls to current building codes. The higher the “R” value the greater the insulation value. It is best to insulate attics first, followed by walls, then floors above unheated crawl spaces. Proper ceiling insulation alone can save you up to 25% on heating costs.
13. Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees, or 140 degrees if you have a dishwasher.
14. Install efficient shower heads and faucets – you could save up to 10 percent on your water heating costs.
15. Fix defective plumbing or dripping faucets.
16. Use draperies, awnings, blinds or shutters on all windows to slow the loss of heat through the glass. In winter, keep window coverings open on sunny days to let the sun’s warmth in and close them at night to insulate against cold, outside temperatures.
17. Consider storm or thermal windows and doors or double-paned glass.
18. Close the damper when not using your fireplace.
19. Operate your dishwashers, washing machines and clothes dryers with full loads only.
20. If your water heater is over 15-years old it could begin to leak. Consider replacing it with a new gas water heater that has an Energy Factor (EF) rating of .62 or better.