7/29/2019 10 Ways to make your home more energy-efficient

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1Conduct an energyaudit. I youre seriousabout improving your homeseciency, start with anenergy audit by an NRCan-certied energy advisor you can search or anadvisor in your area atwww.nrcan.gc.ca. Youll

get a list o recommendedupgrades to help you plan,and you may qualiy toreceive up to $5,000 inederal ecoEnergy grants.According to NaturalResources Canada, theaverage retrot may yield a30% reduction in energy use.

2Seal up those drats.Draty windows anddoors can be a major sourceo energy loss. I an upgradeisnt currently within yourbudget, you can still saveenergy and make your homemore comortable by usingsimple weather-stripping andcaulking as an economical wayto reduce air leaks.

3Upgrade yourheating system. Inolder homes, the savings overtime rom installing a newhigh-eciency condensinggas urnace may be the bestinvestment you can make.Talk to a certied heatingcontractor to help researchwhich heating system is bestor your home and climate,and use the search tool atwww.nrcan.gc.ca to ndthe handy Home Heating

System Cost Calculator.

4Add insulation. Anuninsulated basement ina home can increase annual

heating costs by 10% to 30%,

since bare concrete conducts

heat outward.

5Curb your hot wateruse.In a typicalCanadian home, waterheating can account or up

to 20% o total utility costs.

Switch out an older water

heater or a more energy-

ecient model, or consider

a new tankless water

heater that warms water on

demand, only as needed.

6Replace energy-sapping appliances. Iyouve got an old clunker or

hand-me-down appliance in

your basement or kitchen,

it could cost you hundreds

o dollars in extra operating

costs over the years. Clothes

dryers are about 18%

more energy-ecient now

than in 1990, and an old

rerigerator can consume as

much energy as our new

ENERGY STAR-qualiedrerigerators.

7Adjust the heat.Invest in a programmablethermostat control toautomatically adjust heating

levels. As a general rule, you

will save 2% on your heating

bill or every 1C you turn

down a thermostat overnight.

8Cool down wisely.By replacing an oldwindow-unit air conditionin a home or condo withan ENERGY STAR-qualied model, you cansee substantial savings inelectricity costs. ModernENERGY STAR-rated

units use 30% to 40% lessenergy than most modelssold 10 to 15 years ago.

9Switch to low fow.Replace an old 18-litre-per-fush toilet with anultra-low volume (ULV)six-litre-per-fush model andyou can achieve a 70% savinin water and cut indoor watuse by as much as 30%.

10Look or emergingalternatives.Consider renewable energysources, such as adding asolar water heater on yourroo or using solar panelsto produce householdelectricity. These options abecoming more aordable

Making your home more energyefcient can reduce your househoexpenses over time and potentiallincrease its resale value. I yourthinking about making upgradeId be happy to help you exploreyour fnancing options.

10waysto make your homemore energy-efcient

ArlyneTiam,

Mortgage Broker

Durham

Argentum Avanti-Financial

11977

933 Dillingham Rd.

Pickering, ON L1W1Z7

Cell: 416 727 4710

Email: arlyne@avanti-fnancial.comi

Website: www.avanti-f nancial.comi