A household’s energy bill can go through the roof by the end of the year. One of your biggest New Year’s resolutions is to find ways to make your home’s HVAC system more energy-efficient and keep in the right air when it counts every season. That can be made possible with an extensive energy audit and home energy evaluation. At Canada Energy Audit (CEA), we’ll help you reduce your home’s heat loss and energy inefficiencies while providing valuable information on Enbridge home rebates and money-saving advice.
By the time you’re finished reading this article, we’ll have provided you with the confidence to contact us to help you decrease your home heat loss and increase your monthly energy bill. We’ll go over steps you can take on making your home warmer in the winter, how you can tell if your house is properly insulated, and the best ways to maximize energy rebates.
How Can I Make My House Warmer In The Winter?
There are several practical, inexpensive ways to keep your house warm in the winter. The first few no-brainers would be to seal up your windows to prevent drafts and leaks of air from happening. You can use something as simple as duct tape or plastic covering. You can also use liquid sealant to ensure indoor temperatures stay in and outdoor air stays out. For doors, in particular, you can install a door sweeper to make sure nothing leaks out.
Another way to keep your home warmer is by installing a programmable thermostat. This device allows you to preset temperatures at different times of the day while monitoring or adjusting the levels if needed. This ensures your home is sitting at an optimal temperature. Start by choosing a setting on the low end when you're asleep or away and increase to a higher setting when you’re in the home. Make sure your thermostat has a manual override switch in case of emergencies.
Lastly, try moving your furniture around from vents and ducts. During the winter, you want the hot air from your furnace to flow consistently throughout your home. If a chair or couch is blocking the vent, it prevents the flow of warm air, leading to wasted energy, cold rooms, and higher energy costs. To avoid disrupting the whole heating flow of your home, a simple rearrangement of furniture can do just the trick.
How Can I Tell If My House Is Insulated Properly?
Another method of keeping your home warm and reducing your energy bill is by installing insulation. Warm air often escapes from places such as the roof, walls, floors, windows, and doors. These are prime areas to install effective insulation that will be noted during a home energy audit. Now how can you tell if the insulation is working as it should?
First, let’s start around the windows. Warm air can leak out between cracks in windows frames and surrounding walls. To block out cold air and seal in warm air, you can use sealant or special putty to close up the gaps in these areas. Afterwards, you’ll be able to lock in more heat when you need it the most. The same rule applies between internal and external door frames. As we mentioned before, a door sweeper can seal in more warm air, but you can also buy a special brush excluder or hinged flap as well.
To check if cavity wall insulation is working from your walls, you can blow insulating material into gaps between the brick and the interior wall. Take extra care in doing this so that no gaps are left unfilled. You should make sure the wall insulation reduces air circulation and helps minimize heat loss during the winter. For retrofitted projects, you can use warmup insulation boards to insulate walls and add as little as 10mm thickness to them.
For floor insulation, you have to make sure the heating is sufficient between the ground and the surface. In newer homes, effective insulation is installed during the construction process while in older buildings, insulation layers can be replaced and added onto existing floor surfaces.
How Can I Maximize The Most Out My Energy Efficient Rebates With CEA?
Special energy efficiency rebates are available in Canada to incentivize greener energy use within homes. It’s up to you whether you plan to purchase and install new energy-efficient appliances in your home or retrofit your HVAC unit. Our expert energy auditors are on the lookout for eligible homes that will qualify for these rebates, which can result in significant financial savings down the road.
We’ll take care of all the paperwork and provide helpful suggestions to help you take advantage of these energy rebates. We’ll also check areas such as your attic or basement for proper insulation ratings, as well as your water heater, furnace, heat pumps, or AC.
Free energy grants are available for AC, Furnace, Water Heater, Heat Pumps, Attic Insulation, Basement Insulation and Windows & Doors.
Contact Canada Energy Audit today to learn more about our special rebates and if your home is eligible now!