The guts...

Okay, for those of you who have been following along - this is what you've been waiting for! The results!

As I've mentioned - we have an older house (we're thinking late 1800's) - so, like most older homes, it's not very efficient. That said, we were pretty happy to learn that our house rated 56 points on the EnerGuide scale!

What does that mean? Well - we're above average for a house of its age in Ontario (average score is 42) - but we have a loooooong way to go in the way of improvements!

In order to be considered 'energy star' rated, a house needs to score at least 80% efficiency. The good news is - if we complete all the recommended upgrades, our rating will jump to about 81%! While we won't be able to consider ourselves 'energy star' rated (because we're an older home) - that's very impressive.

Right now, our auditor (Tim, from DT Home Energy Advisors) estimated that if we were to add up all the air leaks in our home, it would be equivalent to leaving an 18X19" window open year-round. Barf.

Our report recommended several upgrades and categorized them according to which would result in the greatest energy savings. The top of that list for us - replacing our heating system.

Because my husband works for Sauve Heating, he was excited to find us the most efficient furnace out there!
We'll be making three major changes:
1. Upgrading from our old oil furnace, to a new 98% efficient propane Luxaire furnace,
2. Replacing our current oil-fired hot water tank with a tankless instantaneous hot water heater, and
3. Installing an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) - which will help us replace the stale air in our home with fresh air - because once these upgrades are made, our house will be so efficient, barely anything will be escaping!

Next on the list, interior insulation. Our report indicated that our biggest energy waster is our basement. To fix this, Merkley Drywall and Insulation will be completely insulating our basement (walls and headers) with with a spray polyurethane foam insulation (HeatLok Soya). Not only is the insulation made from recycled plastic and soya oil, it also offers one of the highest thermal values and is water resistant.

And lastly - exterior insulation. To make sure we're completely sealing our house from the inside-out, the folks at Merkley will also be insulating the exterior of our home with 1.5" R10 foamboard.

I know what you're probably thinking - sounds expensive!

While we will be responsible for the initial costs, once we book Tim for our post-retrofit audit, we'll be able to sit back in our wonderfully comfortable home and wait for the grant cheques to arrive! Overall, we stand to recover about 50% of our costs!

Here's a breakdown of the grants we'll receive back from the Federal and Provincial governments:
Furnace - $1,125
Hot water tank - $550
HRV -$675
Basement wall insulation - $1,125
Header insulation - $225
Exterior wall insulation - $3,225

Keep in mind that these numbers do reflect the 25% funding increase the Federal government just announced, but will likely increase by another 25% should the provincial government decide to do the same!

On top of that, we can also claim the upgrades we make towards the $1,350 Home Renovation tax credit, and - according to our report - stand to shave 50% off our current heating and electrical costs!

Phew - that may be a lot of numbers, but it all adds up to one thing - SAVINGS.

If you were on the fence before - it should be clear! NOW is the time to make your home a more comfortable and affordable place to live.