A version of this article was originally published in the Peterborough Examiner on September 7th. The content has been updated for The Millbrook Times.
Are you looking for cool ways to participate in addressing the climate crisis? Reducing your use of fossil fuels isn’t just about riding a bike. Homeowners have unique opportunities to conserve energy at home and improve comfort during extreme weather events.
Reducing CO2 emissions locally, will happen by choosing energy sources that aren’t coming from fossil fuels. In the township of Cavan-Monaghan, 31% of total CO2 emissions come from our residential buildings. Burning natural gas, propane, and oil for heat is a major contributor to these emissions.
Sealing and insulating the buildings we live and work in is an important step in reducing our use of fossil fuels. A home that is draft-proof and insulated well is far more comfortable, so conserving energy at home literally feels good for us!
It is typical for a home in our region to have 60-75% of total energy use related to heating and cooling—we use a lot of energy to keep ourselves comfortable by running our furnaces and air conditioners. In the foreseeable future, many homes will switch their primary heat source to a heat pump that uses electricity to regulate temperatures, instead of fossil fuels.
GreenUP Home Energy Advisor, Collin Richardson works directly with Millbrook homeowners supporting people in the process of finding strategies to reduce their energy use. Collin is an NRCan registered energy advisor who performs EnerGuide assessments for single-unit residential buildings.
A home energy assessment, performed by an advisor like Collin, is the best first step in improving the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. An assessment will evaluate your home’s current energy performance and provide you with a clear plan on how to take action toward energy efficiency.
Currently, there are funding programs available for homeowners such as the Greener Homes Grant and the Greener Homes Loan to support people in electrifying their homes.
Eligible measures include improving the building envelope (replacing windows and doors with Energy Star models and adding insulation to basements, walls and attics), upgrading to a heat pump or adding solar panels.
Federal grants of $5,000 and zero interest loans of up to $40,000 are available to support home energy retrofits. If you perform eligible retrofits on your home following the advice of your Energy Advisor, you are also eligible to receive a rebate on the majority of the assessment costs (in addition to other grants and loans).
During an assessment, an energy advisor will visit your home, measure all windows and doors, assess the insulation in attics or basements, document heating and cooling systems, and perform a blower door test. This process typically takes 3hours. You are then provided with a full report which provides a fascinating picture of how your home uses energy, and what you can do to improve home comfort and efficiency.
GreenUP currently has home energy advisors who perform home energy assessments in the Millbrook area and entire L0A postal code.
GreenUP believes deeply that addressing climate change is a responsibility shared by everyone. This means that political leaders, businesses, and individuals all have a role to play. We know that systems-level change, led by our governments, is required to meet pressing climate targets. We also take joy in sharing about strategies empowering individuals to make the changes they can to address climate change. We hope that you, like us, enjoy the small wins and find ways to conserve energy at home.
To begin, contact the GreenUP Home Energy Helpdesk at 705-536-9943 to find out more about what a home energy assessment entails, costs, and inquire about your eligibility to take part in related rebate programs. If you are a homeowner who resides within one of our current postal code areas, you can book your home energy assessment online at https://shop.greenup.on.ca/collections/home-energy-assessments. You can also find out more information about climate action at home, including easy DIY retrofits at https://www.greenup.on.ca/climate-action-at-home/.
by Tegan Moss, Executive Director at GreenUP
