Going “Green” with your Renovations = Green back in Your Pocket
This is the first of what I hope will become a series of guest posts. I met Amanda Dyal not too long ago and was impressed with what service she and her company, Mr Home Inspector, offer. They go beyond the standard inspection and get right into the energy efficiency of your home. This is an added value service which I can see will at some point become commonplace but for now… well, let’s just say that these guys are on the forefront of such a service. - Will
Energy efficient renovations are on the rise. Why? Helping the environment while saving money on heating bills – well what’s not to love by helping the planet while helping your pocket book in the long term?
To add extra incentive there are thousands of dollars available for anyone completing energy efficient renovations. The federal government has grants up to $5000 and the provincial government has an initiative in place (LiveSmart BC) which also contributes thousands of dollars to homeowners completing these projects. Lest we forget that there are also PST exemptions on some of the equipment (energystar compliant) as well as additional rebates.
To get started on your home you need to first get an ecoENERGY evaluation from a certified energy advisor who is licensed with Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) to qualify you for some federal and provincial government grants! This is very important. You will not be eligible for the grants if your do not have an initial assessment by a certified energy inspector.
Mr. Home Inspector, a licensed energy advisor with NRCAN has had over 10 years of experience doing these evaluations and has helped in getting clients $1000s of dollars back on their energy efficient renovations. We are at your service 5 days a week with a range of available appointments starting as early as 5am and ending as late as 9pm in order to accommodate you, the client and your busy life.
Sample of a Heat Loss Graph:
Red illustrates the heat currently being lost before the renovations are completed
Green illustrates the heat being lost after the renovations have been completed
Here’s the even better news …there is a combination of government grants, incentives, PST exemptions and mortgage insurance rebates available for those who are completing these selected energy efficient upgrades:
- Space Heating
- Basement Insulation
- Other Insulation
- Windows and Doors
- Air Tightness and Draft Proofing
- Water Heating
- Attic Insulation
- Exterior Wall Insulation
Some examples of the grants are:
|
Equipment/Improvement being made |
Description |
South Coastal Grant (LiveSmart BC) |
PST Exempt? |
Federal Grant |
|
Gas Furnace |
Energy Star 95% or better with a DC variable speed motor |
$770 |
|
$500 |
|
Air Source Heat Pump *subject to federal terms and conditions |
Energy Star with a variable speed motor |
$1420 |
X |
*400 |
|
Windows & Doors |
Energy Star Zone |
$20 |
X |
$30 |
|
Solar Water Heater *an additional $1000 incentive is available see www.solarbc.ca |
CAN/CSA compliant (Solar BC) |
*$125 |
X |
$500 |
For more details, go to: http://www.gov.bc.ca/empr/down/livesmartbc.pdf
How it works…
You will need to get an energy efficiency assessment from a certified energy advisor licensed with Natural Resources Canada ($150 + GST) before any of the renovations are started.
Call Mr. Home Inspector for an appointment, 604.837.3603
Your advisor reviews the suggested projects that would best benefit your home in terms of energy efficiency (see sample table of improvements below)
|
Retrofits These upgrades qualify for a federal grant up to a |
Federal |
Potential |
Potential |
|
* One (1) star = lowest savings / five (5) stars = highest savings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Replace 3 toilet(s) with low-flush or dual flush toilet(s) that meet(s) the minimum requirements. |
$150 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Increase the insulation value of your attic from the current level, which is evaluated at RSI 2.1 (R-11.9), to achieve a total minimum insulation value of RSI 8.8 (R-50). |
$235 |
|
|
|
|
|
** |
|
|
Increase the insulation value of 100% of the total crawlspace wall surface by a minimum of RSI 1.8 (R-10). |
$400 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Improve the air tightness of your house by 10 percent to achieve an air change rate per hour of 5.2 at a pressure of 50 Pa. |
$150 |
|
|
|
|
|
**** |
|
|
Replace your heating equipment with an ENERGY STAR® qualified gas furnace that has a 92.0% annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) or better, equipped with a DC variable-speed motor. |
$500 |
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Replace 22 window(s) / skylight(s) with models that are ENERGY STAR® qualified for climate zone A. |
$660 |
|
|
You have 18 months to complete all of your projects from the list in your ecoENERGY report to qualify for your 1 time grant – *please note that you do not need to complete all of the suggested improvements on the evaluation, you can choose to do 1, or any number of them, even all if you wish
All of your projects are now complete, it is time to call your energy advisor back to do the 2nd assessment and process your grant paperwork*
Your second assessment ($150 + GST) has been completed and the paperwork has been completed by your advisor and submitted for you to receive:
- ecoENERGY Retrofit Grant(s)
- LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentives
- A reimbursement of $150 for your initial energy assessment**
*The 2nd visit must be completed within 18 months of the initial visit in order to qualify for the grants/incentives/rebates
**The reimbursement of the initial energy assessment visit cost of $150 is only valid if the 2nd visit has been completed
Additional information on the Federal and Provincial government programs:
ecoENERGY Retrofit (Federal government program)
LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Program - (BC provincial government program)
Mortgage Insurance Rebate information:
Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC)
Genworth Financial Energy Efficient Housing Program
For more information on these programs or to book an appointment for your ecoENERGY evaluation, please feel free to contact Amanda Dyal, Business Development Manager for Mr. Home Inspector Ltd. by phone at 604.306.5957 or by email, Amanda@mrhomeinspectorltd.com.
Vancouver, BC 
Intresting. Do you have numbers on the approximate length of time for payback of these various renovations?
I should also add that it helps to have utility bills available when selling to show the annual expense before and after. Ultimately a buyer will pay a premium for the expected savings in utility costs. It is also a good tactic when negotiating on the buying side. If heating bills are high the price should be lower. No heating bills at all — crap shoot.
To answer your question Jesse, after your renovations have all (or 1) been completed and you call us back to do the 2nd ecoENERGY evaluation (2nd time testing and paperwork processing), you should receive your cheques approximately 45 days later.
If you have any further questions, please do feel free to give me a call at 604.306.5957 or email me at amanda@mrhomeinspectorltd.com
Thanks