52 Ways To Save: Have a Home Energy Audit Done

Jun 1 | Money Saving Tips

Every Monday in 2015, I’ll be sharing a different idea to help you save money! Add all of these tips to your frugal repertoire and you’ll be able to save a lot of money this year! I hope you’ll gather a few new ideas or at least some inspiration from this series.  

How a Home Energy Audit Can Help You Save on Your Energy Bills

How energy efficient is your home? What are the most cost-efficient changes you can make to save energy and on your monthly utility bills? Here's how a Home Energy Audit can save you money on your utility bills.

The following post is a guest post by Hilary of CallMePower.ca. Enjoy!

How energy efficient is your home? What are the most cost-efficient changes you can make to save energy and on your monthly utility bills? Getting an energy audit done on your home can help you find out the answers to these questions and more. If you are thinking of renovating your home, here’s why you might want to consider having a home energy audit done first.

What is a Home Energy Audit?

A home energy audit is performed by an independent home energy advisor who inspects your home in order to evaluate its efficiency. They are specially trained to evaluate heating and insulation characteristics of a home, and are licensed by Natural Resources Canada. During a home energy audit the inspector will examine the performance of your home’s heating, insulation and air leakage, hot water, and ventilation systems, and will suggest cost-effective energy efficiency improvements and upgrades.

How Does a Home Energy Audit Work?

A home energy audit has several steps:

1. Walk-Through Assessment

home-energy-audit-assessment

The home energy advisor will start the assessment by walking through certain parts of your home to note aspects of how it uses energy. First, the home energy advisor will take some measurements and pictures of your home from the outside. Next, he or she will look at your furnace and basement in order to examine the age and performance of your furnace and water heater, as well as the level and quality of insulation in your basement. The home energy advisor will also look at other appliances throughout the house, such as the toilets, kitchen appliances, lighting, etc. He or she will also examine how well insulated your attic is.

2. Blower Test

Once the home energy advisor has examined the house from basement to roof, he or she will detect any drafts (which, in technical speak, is also known as “air infiltration”). This is often done by a “blower door test”, in which the technician put the house under reverse pressure by hooking up a powerful fan to the main door. How does this fan work? When turned on, the fan draws air through your home at a constant speed so that it reaches a certain (constant) pressure. This allows the advisor to measure how much leakage takes place within your home, and identify where the drafts are. Identifying the location of the drafts in your home will enable the technician to recommend where in your home needs sealing.

3. Home Energy Assessment Report

Once the inspection is finished, the energy advisor will create a report that breaks down how much energy your home uses for space and water heating, lighting and other appliances, and identifies where in your home energy is lost (windows, doors, basement, attic, etc). Your home energy advisor will explain the results of the report to you, and will answer any questions you might have. The report will identify which energy upgrades would be the most cost effective. Your home will also be compared with similar homes in the NRCan database so that you can see its relative efficiency. It will receive a current rating and a predicted rating for the suggested energy improvements.

Why Get a Home Energy Audit?

checkTo run your home cheaper and more efficiently. Having a home energy audit done on your home will show you how much energy it uses to run, and will give you some ideas on how to cut down on operating costs.

checkTo make sure your renovations are smart ones. The energy efficiency improvement suggestions that you will receive following the evaluation will give you an idea of which renovations are the most energy- and cost-efficient options for your home.

checkTo improve the value of your home. Your home will be given an EnerGuide rating as part of the report given to you following the home energy audit. Having your home reassessed once you’ve made some of the suggested improvements can improve your home’s resale value, as the improved EnerGuide label proves that you’ve made the important renovations for your home.

Where Can I Find a Licensed Home Energy Auditor?

NRCan has a list of licensed NRCan home evaluation service organizations in Canada. Only licensed organizations are able to give your home an EnerGuide label.

How Much Does a Home Energy Audit Cost?

Energy audits generally cost a few hundred dollars, but may be eligible for government rebates. Check with your local municipality or provincial government to see if you are eligible for a rebate if you have a home energy assessment performed on your house.

Hilary is the author of CallMePower.ca, a website that provides information about energy prices in Canada to help Canadians find the best prices for their electricity and gas supply. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, DIY projects, and scoring deals at thrift stores.

See the other articles in this series, here.

Walmart: 5-Drawer Tool Tower with Bulk Storage only $48

May 29 | Canada Deals

tool box

Is Dad looking for a new tool tower?  Why not get this 5-Drawer Tool Tower with Bulk Storage from Walmart for only $48! (reg. $79.98)  Here are a few details:

  • Versatile tool storage in the top lid, drawers and bulk storage area
  • 3″ x 1″ casters support 300 lbs
  • Secure property with the included lock bar and padlock (not included).
  • Assembled product dimensions: L 22 inches x W 12 inches x H 36.25 inches

Shop online at Walmart.ca now.

Homemade Graham Crackers

May 29 | Recipes

These Homemade Graham Crackers are super simple and so much better than store bought. You can enjoy them by themselves for a snack or even make some homemade s’mores.

These Homemade Graham Crackers are super simple and so much better than store bought. You can enjoy them by themselves for a snack or even make some homemade s’mores.

Homemade Graham Crackers

I must admit, normally I buy crackers from the store, but trying my hand at making homemade graham crackers really intrigued me. Since they’re quite costly to buy, and I figured we might be going through a few boxes this summer making S’mores, I jumped right in to make them.

Homemade graham crackers are so simple and need very little effort. It’s easy to make a couple of batches in no time. You you will need is whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, honey, butter, cinnamon, and baking soda!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup softened Butter
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Honey
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 1/2 cup Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon

graham crackers1

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and honey. Mix until blended.
  3. Gradually add in flour and wheat flour alternating between them until incorporated.
  4. Roll out dough between sheets of wax or parchment paper to about 1/8″ thickness.
  5. Cut/score into individual cracker sizes and use a skewer or toothpick to make holes in the crackers.
  6. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
  7. Line a cookie sheet with silicone or parchment paper.
  8. Separate cookies and place on prepared sheet.
  9. Bake until crackers begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

graham crackers2

graham crackers3

How do you like to enjoy graham crackers?  Check out my simple recipe for oven S’Mores if you’re looking for a way to use your delicious homemade graham crackers!

Print
Homemade Graham Crackers
Ingredients
  • 1 cup softened Butter
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Honey
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 cup Wheat Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and honey. Mix until blended.
  3. Gradually add in flour and wheat flour alternating between them until incorporated.
  4. Roll out dough between sheets of wax or parchment paper to about 1/8" thickness.
  5. Cut/score into individual cracker sizes and use a skewer or toothpick to make holes in the crackers.
  6. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
  7. Line a cookie sheet with silicone or parchment paper.
  8. Separate cookies and place on prepared sheet.
  9. Bake until crackers begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

These Homemade Graham Crackers are super simple and so much better than store bought. You can enjoy them by themselves for a snack or even make some homemade s’mores.