Environmentally Friendly Upgrades
For Your Home or Condo
You don’t need to work with a Registered Energy Advisor to figure out which energy efficiency upgrades will save you the most money and give you a clear return on investment. Further than energy savings, there are also some other upgrades you can make to save money and do better for the environment.
As a home builder that has seen it all, BVM Contracting has compiled the top 4 upgrades that you can make to your home (if you haven’t already done so) and don’t break the bank.
Upgrade your Incandescent Lighting to CFL’s or LED
Since electricity is not cheap but upgrading your lighting to more efficient bulbs to CFL’s or LED is cost-effective this upgrade is a no-brainer. The cost to upgrade lighting will cost you less than $100 in an average-sized bungalow, and provide a return on investment in less than one year!
Install a Programmable Thermostat
With a programmable thermostat you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 3-4 °C for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. Programmable thermostats are not very expensive and usually cost between $50-$100 for a return on investment of about 1-2 years.
If you would like to upgrade to a smart programmable thermostat (Ecobee and Nest), it will cost more but you will have additional features included that can save you more money over time. The benefit of investing in a smart thermostat is you can claim a $75 rebate from Enbridge to subsidize the cost and keep your return on investment healthy!
Seal your home to prevent air infiltration
Sealing around your windows, doors, attic, vents, and any other part of your home that causes a draft will substantially decrease your home’s heating and cooling requirements. The cost to seal an average-sized bungalow will cost around $800-1000, but will give a return on investment from the energy savings within 4-5 years. Not to mention, Enbridge has a program that will allow you to subsidize the cost of air sealing. Check out our blog here to learn more about how much money you can save by sealing your home.
Install low-flow toilets and shower fixtures
The installation of low flow toilets and shower fixtures into your home can give a return on investment between 3-5 years depending on if you install the fixtures yourself or get a plumber to install. Since shower fixtures use more water it is recommended to upgrade these first. Even further than that, if you have multiple showers, install the low-flow fixtures on the higher-use showers first then work your way down to the lesser used fixtures.
Want to find out more ways to improve your homes energy efficiency?
If you are trying to come up with more ways to make your home more energy efficient, please reach out to us and we can start the conversation. Our goal is to provide unbiased advice for the best energy efficiency upgrades to your home, so we are looking forward to starting a conversation!
We will be able to also recommend the right Home Energy Advisor to partner with should you decide to enroll into the Home Energy Loan Program or Enbridge Home Efficiency Program.
About BVM COntracting
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.