Older homes, much like many in the Barrie area, we’re built before concerns about energy ratings or energy efficiency. Even though they had excellent character and curb appeal, they had high energy bills. These homes weren’t built with the correct attic insulation, thermal windows, high-energy furnaces, or draft proofing. Now, there is a program that can take care of a home’s energy upgrades with the Ontario Energy Efficiency Rebates program.

You can find out why your energy bills are so high and just how much energy you are using throughout your home with a home energy audit. Throughout the audit, the Energy Advisor will help find possible solutions, as well as additional upgrades that can be performed on your home to bring your bills down to a rate that you’re more comfortable with and save energy. The advisor will give you information about the rebate program that can offer you incentives to have additional upgrades performed both inside and on your house to raise the energy-efficiency rating.

After an assessment of your home’s energy, air sealing and insulation is one of the most common ways to make your home more energy efficient. Placing more insulation in the basement headers and walls will improve the ability to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the home as well as vastly improve the building envelope. Winter-proofing your home throughout the coldest months of the year can also be very advantageous by sealing small cracks and gaps to prevent air from leaking in through trouble spots.

To help warm air circulate throughout the home, the best way is by removing your old furnace and installing a more energy-efficient gas furnace. Burning natural gas extracts a large amount of heat energy in the exhaust gas condensing system.

Installing an Energy Star-rated central air conditioner after your home is well insulated will lower your energy usage and bill seeing as it won’t have to work as hard throughout the summer months.

Upgrading to a tankless or high-efficiency instantaneous hot water heater will give you a stream of hot water whenever you demand it in addition to saving both energy and space in your basement.

Barrie residents can make upgrades to their homes more affordable by applying for a rebate program that will give you efficiency rebates in addition to saving energy. Union Gas can offer you energy saving rebates, and home efficiency rebates can make your energy bills more comfortable, as well as your home.

Applying for Ontario energy saving rebates today will help pay for the upgrades to your home that will lower its energy consumption, lower your electricity bill and make your home both energy-efficient and comfortable year-round.

Call to set up your Ontario Energy Rebate appointment today and start to save on energy tomorrow.