|
|
 |
|
|
Are Solar Coatings an Alternative To Blinds?
Conservatory blinds can be very expensive. Too much so in my view, especially as I need some - any offers :) ? An alternative may be to coat the roof with a thin layer of a special substance called a solar coating that reduces the amount of...
Make Soundproofing A Part Of Today’s Home Improvement
Want a simple behind the scenes way to increase the comfort and value of your home? Soundproofing may sound like something only professional recording artists need, but you will be surprised at how much you will enjoy the added quiet that...
Ready to Move? Consider Remodeling Instead
(ARA) - Is your home feeling a little squeezed or out-of-date? You may want to join the millions of Americans who are turning to professional contractors instead of Realtors.
According to the National Association of the Remodeling...
Use Wallpaper Borders to Decorate Your Room
The use of wallpaper borders is quite common for any room of the
house. A border is placed either through the middle of a wall or
about three feet from the floor to separate the top of the wall
from the bottom. There are many ways these accents...
Which Lamp should you choose?
With all the lighting choices out there, you may want to reconsider just purchasing a lamp for your lighting needs. Whether you are looking for interior lighting or outdoor lighting, you can find many options pretty easily. Lighting fixtures have...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
New incentives help homeowners and the environment
(NC)—It just got easier for Canadians to do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change thanks to a new federal incentive that provides extra motivation for improving the energy efficiency of your home.
Beginning this fall, homeowners who undertake renovations may be eligible for an incentive of up to $3,348 if they can demonstrate that the project has made their home more energy efficient. The incentive is part of the EnerGuide for Houses Program, launched by Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency in 1998 to help homeowners identify and undertake energy efficiency upgrades.
With the EnerGuide for Houses service, an independent energy advisor visits the home, performs a basement-to-attic energy evaluation, calculates an energy efficiency rating and recommends measures to reduce energy consumption while maintaining a healthy living environment. After the homeowner has completed some or all of the recommended upgrades, the advisor performs a follow-up evaluation and determines the new energy efficiency rating.
Among the more commonly recommended improvements are caulking and weatherstripping around doors and windows, upgrading insulation and replacing old, inefficient heating systems. In addition to reducing energy bills and increasing comfort, such measures are good for the
environment – the less energy a home consumes, the fewer greenhouse gas emissions it produces.
Now, the Government of Canada has introduced an incentive that will allow eligible homeowners to recoup some of their investment when they implement improvements recommended by an EnerGuide for Houses advisor. The amount of the incentive is calculated based on the home's rating before and after upgrades are completed – the greater the improvement, the larger the incentive.
The incentive is part of the government's strategy for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, under which Canada is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Homeowners who renovated after using the EnerGuide for Houses service achieve average energy savings of 32 percent and greenhouse gas reductions of 2.2 tonnes per year, putting these families well on their way to meeting the government's challenge to Canadians to reduce their personal production of greenhouse gases by one tonne per year.
For more information about the incentive program or to locate a licensed EnerGuide for Houses agent in your area, visit energuideforhouses.gc.ca or call 1 800 387-2000 (toll-free) or
995-2943 in the National Capital Region.
- News Canada
About the author:
News Canada
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|