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Boulevard
Bulletins
Saving
Money While You Save The Planet!
By Alan Carson, July 2008
Saving energy now makes a lot more financial sense for homeowners because
several levels of government and several utilities are participating. There
is assistance from several groups, but it is not easy to find all the sources
of help. This paper simplifies the situation and saves you time, while pointing
you in the right direction. Let’s start with some goal setting:
Consumers’ goals
1.
Minimize capital spending (buying equipment)
2. Maximize home comfort
3. Minimize ongoing fuel and utility costs (operating costs)
4. Do the right thing for the planet.
Government & utility
goals
1.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help minimize climate
change
2. Conserve energy and water
The
goals are more closely aligned than ever before.
The cornerstone is the ecoENERGY Retrofit
- Homes program, a Natural Resources Canada
initiative. Significant cost savings are now available
to Ontario homeowners. While there are many programs
and incentives, this partial list includes some highlights
that we believe provide the greatest return on investment.
How
to book your ecoENERGY Assessment
What
you need to know
Heating and cooling
-
$1,250: ENERGY
STAR® qualified gas furnace with DC variable
speed motor: $500 (Federal), plus $500 (Provincial),
plus $100 from Enbridge Gas Distribution, plus $125
from Ontario Power Authority (Cool Savings Rebate),
plus another $25 from Ontario Power Authority (Cool
Savings Rebate) for a programmable thermostat.
-
$1,200: ENERGY
STAR® qualified gas or oil boiler: $600 (Federal),
plus $600 (Provincial), plus $100 from Enbridge Gas
Distribution (if gas).
-
$1,000: ENERGY
STAR® qualified oil furnace with DC variable
speed motor: $500 (Federal), plus $500 (Provincial).
- $800: Replace
conventional air conditioner with ENERGY STAR® qualified
SEER 14/15 high-efficiency air-conditioner: $200 (Federal),
plus $200 (Provincial), plus $400 from Ontario Power
Authority (Cool Savings Rebate).
Note:
Some equipment manufacturers also offer rebates.
Insulation
- $2,000: Insulate
all your basement walls with more than R-23 additional
insulation: $1,000 (Federal), plus $1,000 (Provincial).
- $1,600: Insulate
all your crawlspace walls with more than R-23 additional
insulation: $800 (Federal), plus $800 (Provincial).
- $200: Add
a minimum R-20 additional insulation to the joist header
space at the top of foundation walls: $100 (Federal),
plus $100 (Provincial).
- $1,200: Upgrade
attic insulation from R-12 to R-50: $600 (Federal),
plus $600 (Provincial).
- $1,200: Upgrade
flat or cathedral roof insulation from R-12 to R-28:
$600 (Federal), plus $600 (Provincial).
- $300: Air
sealing to improve the air tightness of your home:
$150 (Federal), plus $150 (Provincial).
Windows,
skylights and doors
- $60
each: Replacement windows that are ENERGY
STAR® qualified: $30 (Federal), plus $30 (Provincial).
Note:
Smaller grants are available if existing insulation levels
are higher, if you add less insulation or if you can
only insulate in some areas.
Conserving water
- $160: Replace
toilet with low flush toilet: $50 (Federal), plus $50
(Provincial), plus $60 from City of Toronto.
- $175: Replace
toilet with dual flush toilet: $50 (Federal), plus
$50 (Provincial), plus $75 from City of Toronto (Dual
flush toilets use different amounts of water for different
types of waste.).
No
PST!
There
is a PST rebate until January 2010 for renewable energy
installations. .
The
fine print
- Maximum
grants levels:
- $5,000
- Ontario Ministry of Energy
- $5,000
- Natural Resources Canada
- The
Cool Savings Rebate program from Ontario Power Authority
is scheduled to end December 31, 2008.
- These
numbers are for single-family homes. There are different
numbers for multiple unit residential buildings.
- Equipment
and appliances must meet certain energy standards.
Lower grants are available for lesser equipment in
some cases.
Where
to go for the information you need
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