Ease of Home Energy Efficiency Takes Center Stage This October for #EnergyAwarenessMonth

MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - October 12, 2016) - Before frigid temperatures hit this fall and winter season, American Home Shield, the nation's largest home warranty company, is encouraging homeowners to prepare their homes to help save money on energy bills.

Home systems and appliances work harder and use more energy without proper maintenance, so American Home Shield recommends homeowners use Energy Awareness Month to understand home energy use prior to switching on their heating systems. To create an energy-saving guide for Energy Awareness Month, American Home Shield, a business unit of ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV), enlisted the expertise of its network of 11,000 professional service contractors to offer tips that will save energy -- and dollars -- all season long:

Step 1: Deep Dive into Energy Bills
Take a closer look at electric and gas bills from last year and break down the average costs per season to see which months use the most energy. Many utility companies offer free energy audits to help identify ways to improve your home's energy efficiency and bill comparisons to help you see how your usage compares to others in your area. You can even learn how to read your meters and see in real-time the impact that your furnace, dryer or other appliance has on your usage.

Step 2: Don't Forget Your Furnace
Before firing up your furnace, special attention should be given to its coils and filters in order to improve performance and energy efficiency.

"We recommend that everyone have their furnace professionally cleaned and inspected before the season begins. Not only will this alert you to any potential safety or maintenance concerns, but you'll find out about them before you're left out in the cold," said Dave Quandt, vice president of field service at American Home Shield. "It's also important to change your furnace filter once a month. This improves air quality throughout your home, and helps your overall system work more efficiently."

Step 3: Get With the Program
Save up to $180 each year on your heating bill by programming your smart thermostat and using all of its features. Many smart thermostats can be paired with smartphone apps, enabling you to set temperatures, schedules and see both indoor and outdoor humidity from your phone. For an additional 5 to 15 percent savings on your heating bill, turn down the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours.*

Step 4: Consider an Upgrade
Still hanging onto that old refrigerator or washing machine? Today's models are more energy efficient than ever, which means more savings in your pocketbook each month. Not sure you're ready to take the plunge? Think about a home warranty, which can protect your budget against repairs to these and other covered items.

For more information and helpful energy-saving tips from American Home Shield, visit the Home Matters blog or check out its YouTube Channel for Energy Efficiency videos.
*Source: EnergyStar.gov

About American Home Shield
American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains the industry leader. American Home Shield, together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, services 1.6 million customers in all 50 states. The companies operate four customer service centers, employ approximately 1,800 employees and have a national contractor network made up of over 11,000 independent home service contractors and more than 45,000 service technicians. American Home Shield is a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks. Go to www.ahs.com for more information about American Home Shield or follow the company online at www.facebook.com/team.ahs or www.twitter.com/AHS_Warranty.

About ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner's dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands includes American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at www.facebook.com/ServiceMaster, www.linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, www.twitter.com/ServiceMaster, or www.servicemaster.com.

Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCZI47fxCt4&index=13&list=PLMiHVMOtpzxfHjthvEsK80GRyAyBe82_y
Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GQrRyW0Z9k&index=9&list=PLMiHVMOtpzxfHjthvEsK80GRyAyBe82_y