We own an old house that leaks heat through the walls and windows like a sieve. Can you give me some specific examples and advise on whether this Energuide Program through the Federal Government is worth the money I’d spend to tighten our house up?

Here’s how the program works. Contact the local Energuide auditor (1-800-763-6881) and (s)he will come to your house and work through a series of tests and calculations. The auditor will then be able to tell you just how leaky your home really is. Based on these calculations, you will receive an energy performance bar graph of your house. This graph shows what percentage of your energy costs are attributed to heating, water heating, appliances and lighting.  It also compares the leakage of components in your house from walls, ceilings, floors, doors and exhaust fans, and it advises on the efficiency of your heating equipment. The auditor will also assign an energy-efficiency rating for your home based on these calculations. For example, the energy audit rating for our 1968 single-pane window house with a high efficient furnace was 67. The Federal Government splits the cost of the audit with you. So your cost for an audit is $150.

Armed with this information on your leakiest and least efficient house components, you choose and replace the components that you feel will most increase the energy efficiency of your home. I chose to replace all our old aluminum frame single-pane windows and a single-pane sliding glass door at a cost of approximately $6500.

You have a year to complete this work. (I got an extension.)  Then call your auditor and schedule a second audit. The second audit costs $75. Your auditor will re-test your home for reduced amounts of air leakage due to all your efforts, and (s)he will assign a new energy performance number based on this test. Our new rating is 75. The difference between these two numbers warranted a $563 grant from the Federal Government towards our window  / door upgrade. The greater the difference between the original energy performance number and the new number, the greater the rebate you receive.

 It is interesting to note that the grant dollars I received were not in any way tied to the amount I spent. For instance, if you choose an inexpensive but very energy conservative upgrade, like insulation in your attic and weather stripping your doors, and the work significantly increases your energy efficiency rating, then the rebate will increase proportionately. So if you are on a budget, consider replacing the least expensive and leakiest components listed on your initial energy audit.  

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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