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Attics should be insulated to R-40 whenever possible.
If your walls currently have no insulation, insulation can be blown into the cavities through holes drilled through the exterior of the home. This should only be done by a reputable, qualified contractor. If you already have some insulation in the main walls and you are replacing the siding on your home, you can add additional rigid insulation under the new siding.
Uninsulated basements are a significant source of heat loss which will cost you hundreds of dollars of extra energy. Basement walls should be insulated to at least R12.
Vinyl siding will not provide additional insulation and therefore will not reduce your heating and cooling costs. To improve the energy efficiency of your home, install rigid foam insulation on the exterior walls underneath the new vinyl siding. This added insulation will help to reduce your heating and cooling costs. Your municipal council should also be contacted before beginning any home renovations.
If your walls currently have no insulation, insulation can be blown into the cavities through holes drilled through the exterior of the home. This should only be done by a reputable, qualified contractor. If you already have some insulation in the main walls and you are replacing the siding on your home, you can add additional rigid insulation under the new siding.
Uninsulated basements are a significant source of heat loss which will cost you hundreds of dollars of extra energy. Basement walls should be insulated to at least R12.
Vinyl siding will not provide additional insulation and therefore will not reduce your heating and cooling costs. To improve the energy efficiency of your home, install rigid foam insulation on the exterior walls underneath the new vinyl siding. This added insulation will help to reduce your heating and cooling costs. Your municipal council should also be contacted before beginning any home renovations.
Actually, heat moves from warm to cold. If your home is built over a crawlspace or unheated basement, you can lose a lot of heat downward through the floors. Insulation will help reduce that loss and also make your floors feel warmer in the winter.
R-value is a measure of how well a material resists the passage of heat. The higher the R-value, the more effective insulation is in keeping the home warm in winter and cool in summer. Insulation should always be judged by R-value rather than inches, as different insulation materials have different R-values per inch of thickness.
While insulation batts are easily compressed, the R-value will be significantly reduced – it is best to use the correct thickness and not compress the insulation. You should also avoid storing heavy materials on top of attic insulation for the same reason.
Either loose fill (typically fiberglass or cellulose) or batt insulation (usually fiberglass) will work well. Batts are easier to install yourself, while many contractors find loose fill easier and less expensive to install.
Unless you are finishing the attic for living space, you should insulate the attic floor to contain the heat within the living space.
Floors over unheated crawlspaces or basements should be insulated with no less than R-20, while floors over open air (such as overhangs) should be insulated to R-40 if possible. If your home has a basement containing your heating system or other sources of heat, you should insulate the basement walls to R-12, rather than insulating the floor above.
Insulation is manufactured and sold by its thermal resistance value (called the Resistance System International (RSI) value) – a precise measurement of the insulation’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the resistance value, the slower the rate of heat transfer through the insulating material. One brand of insulation may be thicker or thinner than another, but if they both have the same RSI value, they will control heat flow equally well. Some insulation materials are marked with both “RSI” and “R” values. RSI values indicate thermal resistance in metric terms, while R values measure it in the imperial system of measurement. Be careful not to confuse the two.
Only if the fixtures are designed to be covered with insulation. Otherwise you should maintain 7.5cm (3 inches) of clearance around the fixtures and leave the top of the fixture uncovered to avoid potentially hazardous heat buildup within the fixture. The only acceptable way to insulate the older pot lights is to build a sealed box over them and then cover the sides and top of the box with insulation. Minimum box dimensions shall be either 35cm wide x 1.2m long x 30cm high (14″ W x 48″ L x 12″ H), or 53cm wide x 74cm long x 30cm high (21″ W x 29″ L x 12″ H).
Most homeowners find it easiest to use batt insulation. If possible, install the new insulation perpendicular to the attic floor joists to reduce heat loss through the joists. Loose fiberglass or cellulose can also be used, by pouring it and leveling it with a board or other implement.
Attics should be insulated to R-40 whenever possible.
Very little, and it is much less expensive than keeping the whole house warm while you sleep.
The best way to save energy and money is to keep the bed covered, keeping the heat in.
Use dehumidifiers only as needed. In mild weather, try opening windows and using either natural air circulation or fans to dry up any excess humidity.
The best way to save is with an insulated cover that will help keep the heat in and reduce the amount of time the heater has to run.
Unless your electric water heater is located in an unheated basement or crawl space, it is not important to insulate the tank. A better energy efficiency investment is to insulate the first two metres of the hot water pipe leading from your water heater with pipe insulation.
For an electric water heater, set the thermostat to 60°C (140°F). This is the recommended temperature for health and safety. Bacteria can grow at lower temperatures, and above this, you run a high risk of scalding as well as wasting energy. Check the temperature at the faucet.
The simplest way to save is to use less hot water. Use low-flow showerheads, wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot, and only run full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher.
The pressure relief valve is an important safety feature. It prevents a potentially dangerous pressure build-up in the water heater in the event that the thermostat malfunctions and fails to turn off the elements or burners. These valves should never be wired shut or otherwise tampered with.
An instantaneous or on-demand water heater is a small heating unit located close to the point of use, such as a sink, which heats the water just before it is used. These units have no storage capability, and are usually not well suited for “whole house” use, as multiple units are typically needed.
It depends on your family size and lifestyle. For an average family of four, a 150 litre (40 US gallon, or 33 Imperial gallon) tank should be sufficient.
If you are going to be away for more than a week, it is a good idea to turn off the water heater. If the water heater is electric, you can shut off the circuit breaker.
No house can be too tight, but it certainly can be under-ventilated. Leakiness is not ventilation. A lack of controlled ventilation can lead to a build-up of moisture, odours, bacteria, fungi and combustion gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Ventilation prevents excessive build-up of these and other indoor contaminants that can affect your health and comfort and damage buildings.
In order to remove moisture/humidity from the house that was created by cooking, an exhaust fan or rangehood fan must be vented to the outside. Non-vented fans will not remove moisture/humidity. They simply move it around. That can create health issues since moisture will collect in cooler places such as at the back of closets, behind furniture, in ceiling corners and on windows and doors. Once cooled, it changes from vapour back to water and in secluded areas may promote mold & mildew growth.
For a long time the only way to control humidity was to open windows &/or use vents to get moist air out of a house and dryer air in. Plus there was a considerable amount of uncontrolled air leakage due to loosely built houses. Many people used dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air. This method was a spot treatment ( the dehumidifier would be set-up in one location at a time. There were very few whole-house dehumidifiers). These portable units can be expensive to operate ranging from $48 to $95 a month, depending on the size and number of hours it is used. Naturally you would double those figures if you use 2 units.
Today with tightly built houses and people doing air-sealing and weatherization, the only way to ensure a sufficient supply of fresh, dry air is by mechanical means such as an air exchanger or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). Air exchangers mechanically exchange heated, inside air for colder, outside air. These units are more costly to operate than an HRV because there is no heat recovery from the out-going air. HRV’s, however, will recover approximately 70% of the heat from the outgoing air and transfer that heat into the incoming air, making them much more cost effective.
To get the full story on moisture and fresh air, we recommend you visit the following websites: Natural Resources Canada and Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation.
Condensation will occur whenever warm air hits a cold surface because warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air. If you have single-paned windows, adding storm windows will keep the inner pane of glass warmer and reduce the amount of condensation. Monitoring your indoor humidity and keeping it in the range of 40 – 50% (even less in very cold weather) will also help. You can reduce the humidity level in your home by installing a dehumidifier or a heat recovery ventilation system.
There are several different types and shapes of compact fluorescent lights available that should fit most fixtures. In some cases an adapter may be necessary.
As long as you use the correct size or wattage, you will get the same amount of light. Today’s compact fluorescents have a much better quality of light and color rendition than old fluorescents – you really should not notice a difference.
Many municipalities have programs that accept household products that contain mercury. Some have implemented collection programs specifically for mercury-containing switches such as those found in your car, while others collect mercury-containing products as part of their household hazardous waste programs. Contact your municipality to find out about local disposal options.
You should turn them off. Incandescent or fluorescent lamps do not use any additional energy at start-up.
No, but they do use less than standard incandescents, so they are a good option in fixtures that will not accept compact fluorescents. They also last longer than standard incandescents, but nowhere near as long as compact fluorescents.
Electric use will depend on the wattage of the lights and hours of operation. Use energy efficient compact fluorescent floodlights rather than large wattage incandescent floods and limit the hours of operation with timers, photocells or motion detectors.
Although the initial cost is quite a bit more than standard incandescent lamps, they last up to eight times as long and use only about one-quarter of the amount of electricity to provide the same amount of light. Over the life of the bulb, the reduced energy costs combined with reduced replacement costs make compact fluorescents an excellent investment.
Both double-paned or thermal windows and storm windows work by creating an insulating air space between the panes of glass. If your existing windows are in good shape, storm windows will usually be more cost-effective. If your existing windows are damaged or if you are replacing them for aesthetic reasons, you should install double-paned, energy efficient windows.
A “thermopane” or double-paned window has two panes of glass separated by a trapped air space. The trapped air acts as an insulator, reducing heat loss through the glass.
“Low-E” windows incorporate a microscopically thin layer of a metal oxide which reduces the amount of heat transferred through the glass without reducing the amount of light. This makes Low-E windows more energy efficient than regular double pane windows.
At present, Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro does have a rebate program on ENERGY STAR windows. We are offering $2 per square foot for retrofits and new housing. This rebate is in addition to the Government Rebate programs being offered for retrofits. For more information on these programs, please visit the Programs and Rebates section on our website or visit the Federal Governments ecoEnergy website.
Condensation will occur whenever warm air hits a cold surface because warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air. If you have single-paned windows, adding storm windows will keep the inner pane of glass warmer and reduce the amount of condensation. Monitoring your indoor humidity and keeping it in the range of 40 – 50% (even less in very cold weather) will also help. You can reduce the humidity level in your home by installing a dehumidifier or a heat recovery ventilation system.
Any large gaps on the outside should be weatherproofed to keep rain out, but the inside is generally the best place to caulk to keep the heated air inside, along with any water vapor that could condense in a cold wall cavity.
No house can be too tight, but it certainly can be under-ventilated. Leakiness is not ventilation. A lack of controlled ventilation can lead to a build-up of moisture, odours, bacteria, fungi and combustion gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Ventilation prevents excessive build-up of these and other indoor contaminants that can affect your health and comfort and damage buildings.
A vapor barrier, also known as a vapor retarder, is a material that resists the passage of water vapor. A properly installed vapor barrier (facing the warm-in-winter side) can minimize the chance of water vapor condensing inside your wall insulation, which not only reduces the insulation’s effectiveness but can also cause damage to your home.
How much you save depends on how warm you keep your home and therefore on how much energy you consume for heating. Generally you can expect to save about two percent on your energy bill for every degree Celsius you set back your thermostat.
Yes, turn your thermostat back by five degrees Celcius at night and whenever you are away from home for more than eight hours.
It is recommended that settings of 20°C during the day and 15°C at night (or when nobody is at home) provide optimal comfort and efficiency.
Absolutely. Conventional thermostats can cause large temperature swings that can make your home too warm or too cold. Energy efficient electronic thermostats will reduce the temperature swing in your home to less than 1°. You might also consider installing anENERGY STAR® programmable thermostat that can be set to match the heating and cooling of your home with your own personal schedule. These units typically offer energy savings of 10 to 15% while increasing comfort levels inside your home. And don’t’ forget, rebates are available on your purchase of electronic and programmable thermostats.
Information on the Home Heating Rebate program can be found on the Department of Finance website or by contacting the department toll-free at 1-877-745-1339 or by email at homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca
The following are additional ideas that businesses should consider to help reduce energy costs:
Yes. Make sure the door gasket fits snugly to keep the cold air inside, clean the coils (located either on the bottom or the back) regularly, and avoid overfilling the refrigerator – there needs to be enough room for the cold air to circulate.
A freezer typically uses about $15 per month of electricity. The older the model, the more energy it will use. The only way to avoid this cost is to eliminate the freezer. If you are purchasing a new chest freezer, choose an ENERGY STAR model for the best energy efficiency.
These labels allow you to compare energy costs of comparable appliances. Most will have a horizontal scale showing the least efficient model, the most efficient one, and where that particular appliance falls on the scale. The labels also have a table that allows you to estimate your annual energy cost based on current electric rates. As with kilometer ratings on automobiles, your actual cost may vary depending on usage.
Yes. Microwaves are excellent for defrosting and reheating cooked food, and use much less electricity than an electric range or oven. Toaster ovens also use less and are good for heating or cooking small quantities of food.
Wash laundry in cold water and line dry whenever possible for the greatest savings. Cold water washing saves about $72 annually and line drying saves another $84 per year. Also, be sure to use the appropriate water level setting. Avoid over drying and always run full loads.
Run full loads whenever possible (this also saves water), and use the “air dry” setting or open the door after the cycle is completed instead of using the “heated dry” cycle.
If the appliance has an “on/off” switch, turning it off has the same effect as unplugging it. Extra refrigerators or freezers should be unplugged when not in use.
Definitely not. The heated air blown out the vent also contains all of the moisture that has been removed from the clothes. This moisture can cause problems ranging from excessive condensation on windows to long-term structural damage.
While you’re at the planning stage, check with your municipality’s building department to find out which permits you’ll need. This varies from province to province but usually special permits are required for any changes to plumbing, heating and electrical wiring. Building permits are also required for any excavation, additions, changes, or alterations to the walls of a building. The purpose of the permit process and the related inspections is to ensure that the work on your home meets provincial or municipal requirements for health and safety, and that is structurally sound. Often, building codes will state that products or installation methods must conform to a certain standard.
As of January 1, 2010 there are three companies in the province certified to complete these audits:
In addition to these, there are a number of do-it-yourself audits &/or audit forms. You can find these on the “takeCHARGE” website, at the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) website and the websites for most insulation manufacturers.
If you decide to use one of the firms listed above, be sure to ask about rebates and grants, how to qualify and the expected overall cost of the audit. Prices may vary depending on geographic location.
Information on the Home Heating Rebate program can be found on the Department of Finance website or by contacting the department toll-free at 1-877-745-1339 or by email at homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca.