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Bayview Residents to Lead in Energy Savings |
(this article appeared in the November 2004 Bayview
Post)
Bayview Residents to Lead in Energy Savings
You’ve
long heard about your hard-earned money slipping through
the cracks. When you add up all of the cracks, gaps and
openings in your house you could end up with a hole 2.3
square feet in diameter! That’s the average size of
energy loss area in most Bayview homes. How can you stop
your money from slipping through the cracks?
Beginning
late October and early November, Toronto Hydro will
introduce their exciting new program in conjunction with
Green$aver called the SMART HOME Energy Program in Wards
25 (approximately Hwy 401 to Broadway, Yonge to Don
Mills) and 26. This is a comprehensive one-stop service
aimed at helping you make conscientious energy choices
to improve the efficiency and comfort of your home while
reducing your monthly energy bills.
A Targeted Audit of your Home by a Certified Green$aver
Energy Consultant
A Certified Energy Consultant will come to your home and
perform the first step in the program which is an energy
audit. This takes approximately two hours and
includes a “Blower Door Test “. The test de-pressurizes
your house and allows for a visual inspection of energy
loss areas. The consultant will also gather specific
information on the mechanical systems, electrical usage
such as appliances and lighting, and construction of the
home. This information will be used to help evaluate the
total energy use of the home and ways to improve.
Detailed Home Energy Consumption Analysis and
Recommendations
The consultant will inspect your home and identify
low-cost and no-cost energy-saving techniques you can
start to use right away. You will receive a detailed
home energy consumption analysis that outlines the
benefits of our recommendations, which will focus on
specific electricity and fuel saving measures that
deliver immediate and on-going energy cost reductions.
The results of the audit, along with the calculated
energy savings and simple payback on improvements, will
be provided. How your energy dollars are spent and the
return on investment for suggested improvements will
also be determined.
Resources
Your energy consultant will also provide you with the
resources necessary to carry out the recommendations
including tips for purchasing and using efficient
products, and help with choosing a good contractor.
You will also receive four compact fluorescent light
bulbs, which will start you on the road to energy
savings the minute they are screwed in.
Ongoing Support
Professional, knowledgeable Green$aver staff are
available to help you maximize the energy efficiency of
your home. The Green$aver team will guide you in
creating an awareness of your lifestyle and learn what
effects it can have on your energy budget.
This program will help you lower your energy
consumption, save you money and meet your one-tonne
challenge www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/english.
Green$aver is a not-for-profit community-based
organization dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. The fee to cover the cost of their service
is $200.
So before you spend another winter with drafty rooms and
high fuel bills, call Green$aver at 416-203-3106. Or
for more information, call my office at 416-395-6408.
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