Around 72 per cent of respondents to the Bosch Green Savings Survey said the main reason for making energy efficient upgrades to their homes was to save money, 37 per cent said it was to reduce the impact of their home on the environment and 34 per cent said improving the resale value of the house was important.
"It's not one thing you can do that all of a sudden is going to make your home this green eco star, it's a cumulative effect of a whole lot of things. It comes down to how much budget you have," says Steve Preiner, director of marketing at Bosch. "Are you prepared to change all of your windows to more energy-efficient models, which can get pretty pricey, or do you start with simpler things? For the price of a few bags of insulation, you can go up in the attic and make a huge difference."
As with any project, you will want to work out the costs versus potential savings.
"Insulation and better windows (are key)," says Craig Marshall, president of Marshall Homes in Pickering, near Toronto. "I don't know that I'd recommend much beyond that. You're going to end up paying a lot of money to get very little savings. You can put motion sensors on lights, change to a higher-rated air conditioner and tighten up your door seals," Marshall says. "These are all relatively cheap things to do that will improve the energy efficiency in your home."
Marshall says it is important to keep a clear record of all changes.
"When you sell the home, (you can say to buyers), 'These are the bills, these are the improvements I've made and this is what the consumption is now,' " he says. "You can show people that you've saved money."
"It's not one thing you can do that all of a sudden is going to make your home this green eco star, it's a cumulative effect of a whole lot of things. It comes down to how much budget you have," says Steve Preiner, director of marketing at Bosch. "Are you prepared to change all of your windows to more energy-efficient models, which can get pretty pricey, or do you start with simpler things? For the price of a few bags of insulation, you can go up in the attic and make a huge difference."
As with any project, you will want to work out the costs versus potential savings.
"Insulation and better windows (are key)," says Craig Marshall, president of Marshall Homes in Pickering, near Toronto. "I don't know that I'd recommend much beyond that. You're going to end up paying a lot of money to get very little savings. You can put motion sensors on lights, change to a higher-rated air conditioner and tighten up your door seals," Marshall says. "These are all relatively cheap things to do that will improve the energy efficiency in your home."
Marshall says it is important to keep a clear record of all changes.
"When you sell the home, (you can say to buyers), 'These are the bills, these are the improvements I've made and this is what the consumption is now,' " he says. "You can show people that you've saved money."
Source http://www.ottawacitizen.com/
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