Category Archives: Green Energy

Home Energy Ratings Report Card

Posted on January 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

How much do you know about your Home Energy Ratings Report Card?

The Ontario Home Energy Rating Act goes into effect for building owners next month, and will eventually begin to impact owners of semi-detached or detached homes by the end of next year.

The act requires anyone selling a house or low-rise building to disclose the results of a home energy audit to potential buyers. The act’s passing comes with the heightened awareness of saving energy and the increasing concern to home buyers about the total cost of owning a home down the road, not just the cost associated with buying one.

Not only must you stage your home and make it presentable for open houses and prospective buyers, “energy-staging” a home is beginning to enter into the real estate lexicon. When it is time to undergo a home energy efficiency audit, you’ll want to ensure your home is as energy-efficient as possible to impress prospective buyers.

A do-it-yourself home energy efficiency “audit” can help you prioritize any energy-related improvements you should make.

Consider using energy-saving bulbs in your home. They typically emit a soft, white glow instead of a harsh yellow light like most bulbs. Otherwise, check the wattage of your current lights. Do you have a 100-watt light bulb where a 40 or 60 watt bulb would suffice?

If your household heating or air conditioning systems are more than 15 years, a newer, more energy-efficient system would increase your home’s energy efficiency significantly. If your system uses filters, they should be changed once every two months at least to ensure efficient air circulation

If the insulation in your ceilings, walls and attic are below minimum, ensure they are updated with sufficient insulation. Older buildings were insulated when the minimum standards were less than what they are today.

Most importantly, check for air leaks and drafts. If you can spend the extra money in replacing older windows and doors with new and more efficient ones, try and do so. If you can’t, ensure caulking or weather stripping is applied appropriately. An easy way to spot drafts in your home is to close all doors, windows and fireplace flues, turn off all furnaces and water heaters and finally to turn off all of your fans. Walk around your home with damp hands or a stick of burning incense. Drafts will cause the smoke to drift, and they will feel cold on your hands.

The Government of Ontario has an Eco-Energy program, and after paying for a professional audit and completing the recommended changes, the government will rebate you half of the auditing fee as well as up to $10,000 for the cost of the changes. A full list of rebates can be found at HomeEnergyOntario.ca.

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Staying Green while Renovating

Posted on December 6, 2009 | 2 Comments

By Heather Rose

Going green is one of the most talked about movements of late, and possibly for many more years to come. It means being more environmentally responsible, creating a healthy environment for you and your family, and encouraging energy efficiency while conserving natural resources.

The changes that need to be made to reduce our ecological footprint are relatively easy, and what better opportunity than when renovating your home? Every time you add or change something in your home you have a chance to do it in an environmentally conscious way, increasing the resale value of your home at the same time.

First, when removing anything old that can be reused such as doors and fixtures, consider donating them to Habitat for Humanity. They can sell them and use the proceeds to build houses for people in need.

When buying new appliances, be conscious of energy efficiency. Look for an energy star label but be sure to do your research – the cheapest appliance might not always be the most energy efficient.

Know your lumber: most pressure treated lumber is full of pesticides and chemicals like arsenic. You can purchase woods that are still pressure treated but without these chemicals, just look for CA-B pressure treated lumber. Selecting materials that are recycled, reclaimed or sustainably farmed can go a long way. Also, try buying paints or other finishes with less toxins like water-based polyurethane or low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint.

One of the biggest steps a household can take when going green is the conservation of heat in the winter. Ensure you have energy efficient windows or pick up some extra caulking so you can seal problem areas yourself to retain heat and use less energy. Another way of warming up your home is to consider into cotton insulation. It’s effective, safer than fiberglass and is more environmentally friendly. Spray foam insulation is also an option.

To improve overall air quality for yourself and your family, consider replacing your furnace and a/c filters with high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters. They will also extend the lifespan of these appliances.   Going green doesn’t always mean going more expensive. Some materials may cost the same or a little more, but the indirect savings will make up for it over time and your home will be a lot healthier.

Heather Rose is a Toronto based Journalist, who is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Real Estate Blog.  Heather website is located at heatherroseportfolio.squarespace.com.

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Cost Efficient Home Improvements

Posted on September 13, 2009 | Leave a comment

There will be times when you want to invest into your home, but you do not have a lot of money to do so. Despite being low on funds, there are still ways you can creatively improve your home.home inspection house

A great way to improve your home is to clear the clutter. Now from this I do not mean store away all your personal belongings. You simply need to clear any piles of books or items that are lying about. In any specific room, if you find unrelated items then you should simple pack it up and either place it in the right location or store it.

De-cluttering a house is no easy task, it can be daunting at times however if you tackle each room separately, it can be easier. Break down the job and pick a room to work on, then move onto the next room another day. I good way you can look at this is that the clutter did not appear in one day, so why should you be pushing yourself to clear it in one day?

Breaking up the job can help you not get overwhelmed and give yourself the proper amount of time to get the job done.

Now another way you can possibly improve your home is to change your furniture. I do not mean go out and buy brand new furniture that would be quite expensive. Rather you can just rearrange your regular furniture and be prepared to see a change.

Play with what you own and see what happens to a room’s look when you completely rearrange the furniture inside.

Among cost efficient home improvements you will come across painting. Painting is one of the easier and cost efficient home improvements you will find. By painting any room, you are redesigning its look and giving it a fresher look.

The colors you can choose from for painting are almost endless. Go to any paint store and examine the different paint they have, choose colors that you find will give the specific room you have in mind a newer look.

Whether you are going to go with the polar opposite of what you already have, or sticking in the general region. Whatever you decide will definitely give the room a newer look at a low cot to you.

With these three home improvements you will find yourself spending little to no money at all. You will also see that your house will look entirely different once done correctly. Never think you need money to improve your home, anything can be done once you put your mind to it.

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Adding some Green to your Home

Posted on August 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

By Samuel Pack

green arrowWe might be seeing the end of the recession within Canada; however it does not mean that you should not try to save money where you can. With this said, a great way to save money is to add some green to your home. Making your home green is not a difficult task, and it allows you to save a few hundred dollars over the years to come.
Here are a few ways to make your home a little greener.

1.    Install a Programmable Thermostat
Replace your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat, which will allow you to save both energy and money. To do this, it simply takes a few minutes to program the thermostat as when to start and at what temperature. You can have it turn off in the middle of the night once the house has reached the desired temperature.

2.    Install Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
By replacing your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs you save 66% less energy and they typically last up to 10 times longer. This type of lighting will not only save you energy and money but it will provide a brighter and softer light.

3.    Watering with Schedule
Keeping your lawn in check can cause you to spend a lot of money if you do not watch your water usage. To do this, install timers on your sprinklers and have it manage programmed to have the water come on a night (less demand for water). You can also program how long the water will be kept on during this time, I would suggest 15 minutes.

4.    Energy Star Appliances
Purchase energy star appliances, they are designed for you to save money. They use less energy which will ultimately save you money. Energy star appliances might cost a little more than your average appliances however the amount of savings you will gain will be worth it.

5.    Unplug Unused Appliances
Any appliance that is plugged in uses a miniscule amount of energy, it might be small but it adds up over a period of time. By unplugging unused appliances you avoid this and it will save you money, even if it is a couple of dollars a month.
With the tips I have laid out, you are sure to save both money and energy in the years to come. The best part is that you are able to lower your carbon footprint which allows the environment to stay green for the future generations.

Samuel Pack is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage R.E.S. Johnston & Daniel Division.  Sam’s website is located www.primetorontoproperties.com.  Sam is a regular contributor to Toronto’s Muddy York Real Estate Blog.

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Home Energy Audit Information

Posted on May 12, 2009 | 1 Comment

By Laura Quinn

The Ontario Home Energy Savings Program (A win/win for everyone!)solar panel

You may have heard in the media or through a neighbour that you can save a significant amount of money if you make certain energy saving upgrades to your home.

The program is called the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program and if you live in a single family home within the province of Ontario you are eligible for the program.

The way the program works is that you first have an energy audit done on your home by a home energy advisor whose company is licensed by Natural Resources Canada. A list of qualified auditors in your area is available on the homeenergyontario.ca web site.

Once you have found an energy advisor in your area, that person will come to your home and conduct your energy audit and this will take about 2 to 3 hours and costs you about $250-350 which the Ontario Government will reimburse 50% of this cost up to $150 (should you make changes).

So what do they do? The auditor will do a pressure test on your home to determine where the leaks are to the outside elements, provide you with recommendations for fixing existing issues and provide you with a complete report outlining the efficiency of your home. They will also make recommendations for changing out an old furnace or hot water tank, caulking windows, installation of insulation etc… All of these items are eligible for a rebate upon completion by you or someone you hire to carry out these changes. The total amount of rebates available is $10,000 ($5,000 from the Provincial Government and $5,000 from the Federal Government). A detailed breakdown of the rebates available for each modification is available at the HomeEnergyOntario.ca “Steps to Getting Started” page.

Finally once you have made all of your energy upgrades you will then book the second appointment for the auditor to return within 18 months following the initial audit. This appointment will cost you an additional $150 or so. The auditor will document all of your changes and submit your rebate application on your behalf. At the end of the day this is a win/win situation as you have the opportunity to save money via the rebates offered to you from your government as well as save money on the energy savings that you will incur when implementing these changes. For all of the details and visit HomeEnergyOntario.ca today and save yourself some money!

Laura Quinn is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage R.E.S./Johnston & Daniel Division. Laura is a regular blogger with Muddy York. Laura’s website is located at www.lauraquinn.ca

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