Visit the Seaport Farmers’ Market while at the Show!
What’s at the Show... We’ve had such a hard winter that there’s no need to promote energy-efficiency – many homeowners are getting the message loud and clear every time they open their latest skyrocketing heating bill. “We’ve had a very cold winter, and the price of all fuels has gone up,” says Donald Dodge, Program Manager of Marketing Insights and Planning with Efficiency Nova Scotia. “The combination of those two factors has been such a great driver for people to get serious about the efficiency of their home.” Dodge says Efficiency Nova Scotia is especially focused on the upgrade market, because they want to help people with existing homes make their structures as energy-efficient as possible. “There are incentives, rebates, and zero-interest loans available through us, to help them to do those extra things that will ensure they’re getting absolutely the best bang for their buck,” says Dodge. For their Home Energy Assessment program, a Certified Energy Advisor comes into the home to do a full assessment of
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The REAL Home Show s 2014
Energy Efficiency
the building and the building’s envelope – which includes a full blower test. “The blower test is the most critical part, because it gives homeowners the opportunity to know exactly where they’re
Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association
losing heat, and where the cold air is coming in,” says Dodge. “It’s a simple thing to fix, but it’s hard to pinpoint without the test.” To help cover the cost of completed upgrades, Dodge says homeowners with electric heat can receive up to $3,000 in incentives, and those with oil heat can receive up to $1,500. Fixing something that’s already built takes some time and energy, but Dodge says doing things properly from the start is much more straightforward. “With our New Home Construction program, we’re able to help the homeowner do it right the first time,” says Dodge. To take part in the New Home Construction program, homeowners need to submit their application within 30 days of registering their building permit. From there, the plans are assessed by energy experts to determine what could be tweaked or added to make the home as energy-efficient as possible. Then it’s up to the homeowner to take some – or all – of those recommendations to heart.
