HERITAGE HOME GETS EFFICIENCY UPGRADE
When the Boudreau family moved to New Brunswick from Alberta they had every expectation that they would purchase a house not very different to the one they left behind - a newer home in an R2000 subdivision that was heated by natural gas. “Then,” Blair Boudreau laughs, “My wife suggested we buy a 140 year old heritage home”.
While he insists he had never thought of it before, he says it sounded like a fun idea. Little did he know the challenge upgrading a heritage home in Hampton, New Brunswick would prove to be.
The Boudreau’s purchased a home that was more than 140 years old and needed a great deal of upgrading for daily living and energy efficiency. “We had a lot to learn, very fast. The house still had the original stone foundation.”
Older homes are often drafty and not well insulated, making them less comfortable to live in and more costly to heat. Most homes, regardless of their age, can be made more energy efficient however through specific, targeted energy efficiency upgrades.
“We knew going into this project that by improving our overall energy efficiency, it would make a difference to the amount of money we spent for heating each month, and would make a positive difference on the environment,” said Blair.
The Boudreau’s took advantage of approximately $5,500 in financial incentives available through Efficiency NB’s Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program and the Federal government’s ecoENERGY Program. The Boudreau’s had an energy audit performed and looked at what areas would best improve their efficiency. They successfully increased the energy rating of their home by 43 points through better insulation in the walls, attic and basement as well as the installation of energy efficient windows.
By improving the efficiency of the building envelope, the Boudreau’s are consuming less energy and have reduced their heating bills. In fact, the family can expect to see a savings of a few thousand dollars each year.
The Boudreau’s are also taking action on climate change. They have reduced their homes green house gas emissions, by 23.79 tonnes annually. This amount of green house gas emissions is the same as those put into the atmosphere by 10 mid-size vehicles in a year.
Some people think upgrading an older home is impossible, but the Boudreau family proves that’s not the case, but he warns that you have to know what you are getting into. “We started at the bottom with the original stone foundation and went right up to the roof. It takes a lot of time and research, but the benefits are amazing.”
Blair admits he probably took efficiency for granted in the beginning, but now, for him and his family, they do it as a rule.
MAKING LIVING MORE COMFORTABLE
By taking advantage of over $2,000 in incentives, Azadeh Joulaie was able to renovate her home's heat pump, insulate her basement, and install
new windows. She increased her overall
efficiency by over 30%.
Azadeh Joulaie admits that she and her husband Khashayar Ghandi were unprepared for the climate in New Brunswick. “We moved here from Vancouver, and were surprised by how much colder it was here in the winter.” The cooler weather prompted Azadeh and Khashayar to look for innovative ways to warm up. “Our first electric heating bill came as quite a shock” said Azadeh, “and we wanted to do something about that.”
They were so surprised by the cost of heating their home that they had NB Power out to take a look at the house, to make sure their electrical system was working correctly. It was through NB Power that they learned about the Efficiency NB’s Existing Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program.
Khashayar and Azadeh home is only fifteen years old but was still quite inefficient, scoring only 38 on their energy audit. Their problem was mainly in their basement, which was still uninsulated. By insulating the basement, homeowners can improve their energy efficiency by up to 30 per cent. Azaddeh told us, “It was important for both our warmth and comfort to make energy efficient renovations.”
The Joulaie’s home renovation included:
- An air-to-air ductless heat pump
- R20 basement insulation
- Energy efficient windows in the basement
- ENERGY STAR appliances and CFL lighting.
By committing to a more efficient building envelope for their home as well as changing to more energy efficient appliance and lighting options, they are saving money on their heating bill, consuming less energy and taking action on climate change. Azadeh and Khashayar took advantage of $2000 of financial incentives available through Efficiency NB’s Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program, as well as incentives available through the federal government’s ecoENERGY Program.
Their renovations increased the energy rating of their home by 42 points, and reduced their home’s greenhouse gas emissions by 17.65 tonnes annually – approximately the same amount of greenhouse gas produced by four sport utility vehicles, each driven an average of 20,000 km a year.
The Government of New Brunswick, through Efficiency NB, recognizes that the biggest single action that can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to reduce our energy consumption. By installing a more efficient heating system, they will be consuming less energy to heat their home.
“We always realized that energy efficiency was important and could make a positive impact on the environment, but what we didn’t realize was what a big difference it could make to us financially,” said Azadeh. Renovations that increase energy efficiency, she noted, are the only ones that you can see a return on right away.
Saving for the future
Colin Nichol's newly upgraded home in Lakewood Heights has annual green house gas savings of 1.22 tonnes per year since the renovation
The Nichols’ bungalow has been a true labour of love. “I began working on the house about four or five years ago, starting at one end and moving to the other.” laughs Colin Nichols. The Nichols are nearing retirement age and realized that by making energy efficient changes to their home, they would be saving money on their heating costs now and throughout their retirement.
The Nichols had already made many improvements to the energy efficiency of their home prior to applying for a loan from Efficiency New Brunswick’s Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program. “Like many homes built in 1964, it needed to be modernized,” he said, “and its efficiency could be improved.”
Older homes are often draftier and not well insulated, making them less comfortable to live in and more costly to heat. Most homes, regardless of their age, can be made more energy efficient through specific, targeted, energy efficiency upgrades, such as those made by the Nichols family.
The program was designed to help homeowners make the right decisions for energy efficient upgrades and retrofit projects by providing expert advice and financial incentives. Despite having done many renovations to the home, the Nichols looked to an energy audit to help them decide what would best improve their energy efficiency at this point.
“I wasn’t surprised when we rated 80 on the energy audit to start,” he said. “We had already finished improving the insulation in the basement and two of the three bedrooms on the main level. The audit confirmed that we had been doing the right things, but there was still more that we could do.” The loan from Efficiency New Brunswick allowed them to turn their attention to the outside of their home.
With their loan, the Nichols were able to:
- Re-side the home, adding an additional R10 insulation
- Install five new triple glaze windows on the main floor
- Install a heat recovery ventilation system
- Install an ENERGY STAR bathroom fan
By committing to a more efficient building envelope for their home, the Nichols are saving money on their electric heating bill, consuming less energy and taking action on climate change. Their renovations increased the energy rating of their home by a further 2 points, and reduced their home’s greenhouse gas emissions by another 1.22 tonnes annually.
Colin pointed out that conservation has always been important to him, and a consideration in his family’s lifestyle. He notes that his family had already switched to ENERGY STAR appliances and CFL lighting, and indicated that they are not done yet. He has a new goal in mind. “The energy auditor gave us a lot of good ideas, and I’d like to do more. As it is an older home, we might not be able to make it R-2000 compliant, but we can get it close.”
Saving history. saving the environment. saving money.
Doug Creelman's re-insulated, air sealed home in Janeville went from an EnerGuide rating of 0 to 64
Doug Creelman knew, even before moving the abandoned 1840’s home to its new location, that there would be a lot of work to do to make it liveable, but the challenge excited him. “We were happy that we could preserve a bit of the area’s history.”
In fact, New Brunswick houses are among the oldest in Canada, with over 30 percent of homes in the province having been built prior to 1960. Older homes are often draftier and not as well insulated, making them less comfortable to live in and more costly to heat. However, most homes, regardless of their age, can be made more energy efficient through specific, targeted energy efficiency upgrades.
Renovating a historic home may seem a daunting task, but the Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program was designed to help homeowners make the right decisions for energy efficient upgrades and retrofit projects by providing expert advice and financial incentives.
By committing to a more efficient building envelope for their home, they are saving money on their heating bill, consuming less energy and taking action on climate change. “We’ve been able to reduce our heating costs by more than one third, and have learned a lot about energy efficiency.”
They made the following changes to improve their energy efficiency:
- Attic insulated to R-40 for the flat ceiling and R-24 for the sloped ceiling
- Main walls, floor header and basement insulated with polyurethane foam (R-20)
- Low E/Argon windows installed throughout the house
- Improvements in air tightness with increased insulation
- New ENERGY STAR appliances
They took advantage of $2000 of financial incentives available through Efficiency NB’s Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program. Their renovations increased the energy rating of their home by 64 points, and reduced their home’s greenhouse gas emissions by 32.79 tonnes annually – that’s about the same amount produced by twenty motor scooters, each driven an average of 20,000 km.
“From the day we moved the house, to its completion, took about six months, but it was a very positive experience,” said Doug. “If asked if we’d do it again I can happily say yes, we would.”
Creating comfort in their family home
Lena Manuel installed an air-to-air heat pump and re-insulated the attic in her home in St. Charles to raise her EnerGuide rating from 32 to 69
When Lena Manuel and her family heard from a family member about Efficiency New Brunswick’s Existing Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program, they knew that it was what they needed to improve both the comfort and efficiency of their older home. The program was designed to help homeowners make the right decisions for energy efficient upgrades and retrofit projects by providing expert advice and financial incentives.
“The cost of wood and oil just keeps going up,” said Lena. “And with the wood furnace, the fire would go out in the middle of the night so that it was always cold in the morning. Having a five-year-old running around the house in the morning, it was important to us that our house be warm.”
With more than 30 percent of the homes in the province having been built before 1960, the Manuels are not alone in their problem. They found that their home, built in 1946 was not as well insulated as a modern home, which made it less comfortable to live in and more costly to heat. However, they learned that homes, regardless of their age, can be made more energy efficient through specific, targeted energy efficiency upgrades.
The Manuel’s home renovations included:
- Upgrading their attic insulation by R-40
- Insulating their basement floor header to R-20
- Installing an air-to-air heat pump
The province is committed to improving the environment, and an important step that can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to reduce our energy consumption. By committing to a more efficient building envelope for their home, and converting to an air-to-air heat pump, the Manuels have not only saved money on their heating bill, but they are consuming less energy and taking action on climate change. They also recently decided to purchase some new ENERGY STAR appliances, and to change to compact fluorescent lighting, both of which use less energy.
The Manuels received a $10,000 loan through Efficiency NB’s Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program, with which they were able to increase the energy rating of their home by 37 points, and reduce their homes greenhouse gas emissions by 13.34 tonnes annually. That is roughly the same amount of greenhouse gas emitted by two pick-up trucks, each driven an average of 20,000 km annually.
The Manuels were excited to discover that by renovating for energy efficiency, they were also successful at creating a more comfortable home for their family. Lena told us, “The changes we have made means our house is always warm, and we still save money on heating.”
At the right place - at the right time
Donald Saunder's fully upgraded retrofit home in Miramichi including re-insulation and a new energy efficient oil furnace
When Efficiency New Brunswick launched their Existing Homes Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program, it was a case of at the right place, at the right time. “There was a lot of noise about the program,” said Donald Saunders. “Both the provincial and federal programs were in the newspapers. You were hearing people talk about it a lot more often, and we knew there were things we wanted to get done that might qualify.”
The Saunders’ home was built in 1920’s and Donald said it wasn’t well insulated, making it less comfortable and harder to heat. He said, “There were definitely areas where we knew we could improve the efficiency and warmth of the house.”
With more than 30 per cent of homes in the province having been built prior to 1960, this is a common problem. Regardless of their age however, most homes can be made more energy efficient through specific and targeted energy efficiency upgrades. The Saunders had some specific plans in mind.
Their renovation included:
- Adding R-40 insulation to the attic;
- Increasing some wall insulation by R-20 (40%);
- Installing polyurethane foam insulation to the entire basement (R-20);
- Changing to an energy efficient oil furnace; and
- Improving ventilation.
As a result of their decision to commit to a more efficient building envelope for their home and choosing a better designed furnace, the Saunders have saved money on their heating bill, and continue to consume less energy.
While oil heating has had a poor environmental track record in the past, new oil furnaces are well designed, cleaner and more energy efficient. “It was time for the old oil furnace to go.” He said. “We are much more comfortable with the new one, and we are saving significantly on our heating costs.”
The Saunders received a rebate of more than $700 from Efficiency NB’s Existing Homes Program, and took advantage of another $2,000 of financial incentives available through the federal government’s ecoENERGY Program. With this they were able to increase the energy rating of their home by 44 points, and reduce their home’s greenhouse gas emissions by 16.95 tonnes annually. For comparison, an empty tractor and semi-trailer can weigh about 16 tonnes.
“We’ve always tried to be conscious of the environment,” said Donald, who continues to be the family quarterback for their renovation team. “It’s an issue that has always been important to us.” The Saunders family has more plans to improve the efficiency of their home, having already decided that the next thing they tackle will be the windows.
