by Robert Wright You may be aware of the eco-audit or energy savings programs run by the province and the federal governments. You may have heard that the federal government has cut these programs for budget reasons. I think that was short sighted. New homes built today are much more energy efficient than even homes built 10 years ago. This is one of the reasons the Canadian Housing industry was able to meet Kyoto targets – one of the very few industries to do so. With most of our housing stock – up to 50% – built between the 1960’s and 1980’s; there are a lot of homes requiring energy updates. Many things in a home require replacement over the years. Why not encourage these replacements to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly? The eco audit program requires that you have a pre renovation or repair inspection and then followed by a post renovation inspection. You could also “double dip” in the programs until you receive maximum rebate value. That means you could spread the work over time as your budget allows. Many homeowners believe the most cost effective eco updates are the windows and HVAC equipment. They are not — it is usually the insulation and the air sealing updates. A handy home owner can complete some of these updates themselves with a caulking gun and some spray foam. Recently, I have been surprised at the number of 1960’s and 70’s basements that I’ve seen that are unfinished and uninsulated. I have finished basements in these types of homes in the past, and the home owner has seen the heating bills drop by 25% to 30%. It is amazing the heat loss that happens through the basement. I have also done exterior renovations where the client could tell where the work was done – without leaving the home. They could feel the comfort level increase in adjoining rooms as we did the work! In addition, they went from two smaller a/c units running on high to one unit on low to cool the home. You can still receive the provincial rebates. However, the cut off date for the federal rebates has passed – they did not give very much warning. I understand that if you have a file number and unused rebates, you may still be able to claim additional federal rebates to top up your rebates. You can call NRC at 1-877-953-5454 to confirm if you can extend your federal rebates. So while the rebates may not be as lucrative as before, there are still savings to be had, which will only get better as time goes on. It still pays you to be green About the Author Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com . Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote .
Here is the original post:
Eco Audit update in your future?