Energy efficiency upgrades mean warmer houses

After 30 years in her Judique, Cape Breton home, Darlene Macdonald decided it was time to spruce the place up a bit.

Her plans included more than just a new coat of paint.

“I started looking into alternatives to help make my life easier and to be able to be comfortable and stay in my own home,” Macdonald said in a Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines press release.

What she found was Homewarming, a program jointly funded by the province and Nova Scotia Power. Insulation was added under Homewarming and she made other improvements herself, including adding a heat pump to supplement a woodburning stove.

“I'm pretty pleased to have all these upgrades done and have all the comfort and security that I have now.”

This winter, more homeowners are enjoying a warm, comfortable home and saving money on their heating bills by making energy efficiency upgrades.

Under the program, low-income homeowners receive an energy assessment on their house. Recommended upgrades like draft-proofing, insulation and other efficiency work are then made at no cost to the owner.

In 2017-18, almost 2,300 homeowners qualified to receive home energy efficiency upgrades.

Two-thirds of Homewarming participants use non-electric heat. They can expect to save an average of $917 annually on their energy bills after upgrades.

“It was another good year for helping low-income families save money on their home heating bills, and the best part is they will continue to save money year after year,” Energy and Mines Minister Derek Mombourquette said.

“This program also supports jobs for people who install these energy upgrades and lowers emissions, which improves air quality for us all.”

Government supports Homewarming for homes with nonelectric heat. Program funding for electrically heated homes is provided by Nova Scotia Power.

Since the program began four years ago, 8,535 Nova Scotians have received efficiency upgrades to their homes through Homewarming or will by the fiscal year Antogonish County sisters to skate in Canada

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More than 16,000 low-income Nova Scotians have had energy efficiency upgrades to their homes since 2007, when government began funding them through various programs.

Homewarming is administered by Efficiency Nova Scotia and the Clean Foundation.

To watch a video of Ms. Macdonald go to https://youtu.be/j0wyh6h-xpe and for more information on the program, visit www.homewarming.ca