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 Greener Homes
This President's Pen article was prepared by the Ottawa Real Estate Board and first appeared in the May 13, 2008 issue of the EMC community newspapers. Please enjoy!
There are many reasons to adopt a greener lifestyle, but these days, with skyrocketing energy costs, saving money on monthly utility bills might be the most immediate benefit of using fewer fossil fuels and producing fewer emissions. There are many ways to bring those numbers down, and in some cases, the government will even chip in some cash to help make homes more efficient.
REALTORS® are huge supporters of the federal government’s new eco Energy Retrofit program, which began in April 2007. It’s ideal for homeowners who live in a house they like, but want to lower their current energy costs. The program is also useful for owners who are thinking of putting their home on the market soon, and who know that many buyers are attracted to efficient homes.
Here’s how it works:
The process begins with an energy audit of the home. (The Ontario government offers a subsidy to help cover the cost of this audit.) Homeowners then receive an itemized report listing the retrofits that will improve the home’s energy efficiency, and advising them how much of a grant they would receive for each improvement. For example, installing a high-efficiency furnace comes with a grant of up to $500, while installing new windows is worth $30 per window. (The program also includes grants for emerging technologies such as solar heating systems and water recovery (“grey water”) systems.)
Homeowners have eighteen months from the date of their audit to complete as many of the suggested retrofits as they wish. Once they are done, they may submit their grant application. The maximum grant from the federal government is $5000, and it is a one-time grant (so any and all improvements homeowners plan to make must be completed before applying). The province of Ontario provides complementary grants for many retrofits, and thanks to an information-sharing agreement, one form is all you need to apply for both provincial and federal grants.
In addition to the immediate cost benefit of the grants, homeowners who retrofit their homes experience an average savings of 23 per cent annually on their energy bills. For more information about the eco Energy Retrofit program, visit http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/.
Homeowners who want to improve your home’s efficiency even further, but don’t have a lot of capital to put into retrofits, can make many small changes to reduce energy consumption. Some examples include:
>>Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents
>>Turning down the furnace in winter and air conditioning in summer
>>Planting deciduous trees on the south side of the home to reduce the need for air conditioning in summer and allow sun to heat your home in winter
>>Insulating the hot water tank and turning the thermostat down a few degrees
>>Installing a low-flow toilet and shower head
>>Using a clothesline to dry clothes whenever possible
Whether you’re hoping to reduce your current energy costs, or looking for a way to make your home more attractive to buyers, your REALTOR® can help you go green at home – and save yourself some green in the process.
For more information on Green homes, please visit www.blackburnhamlethomes.ca under 'Real Estate News and Reports'
Sincerely Yours,
Sarah Cloutier, Sales Representative and Jeff Miller, Sales Representative |
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| Ottawa, ON |
| Updated 5:00 am EDT, 8/28/2008 |
 | Condition: Overcast
Temperature: 14° C
Wind: E at 8 KPH
Visibility: 24 KM
Humidity: 87%
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| Updated 5:45 pm EDT, 8/27/2008 |
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Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
-- Winston Churchill
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