There are so many additional costs
associated with home-owning apart from mortgages, which we tend of
think of as the primary expense. Yet on top of mortgage payments, we
must budget for insurance payments, utilities, maintenance, and so
forth additionally. Given the many expenses we must manage,
who wouldn't welcome a break in any of these? We'll start with a bit
of bad news: most Canadian households are not operating efficiently
when it comes to energy and water consumption. Now the good news:
this means there are hidden savings to be had in your home without
spending a single red cent (ahem, we meant to say “shiny
nickel”—RIP penny) on costly upgrades. Here's how you access
them.
Manage your air well. For
something that's typically mistaken for nothing, we spend a lot of
money on air. We spend to heat it, and we spend to cool it...so we
should be careful about where it goes. First of all, you want to
ensure that air which you've either heated in the winter or cooled in
the summer isn't escaping unnoticed. The sources of potential leaks
are numerous and varied, and increase with the size of your property,
so take some time to do a survey of your home to see where air might
be leaking out. The most obvious culprit is in the space around
window. A substantial amount of air escapes this way, even with
seemingly well sealed windows. In the winter, the best way to prevent
this is with caulking. This is a very inexpensive way to implement a
system that will save plenty. Using plastic film over the windows in
addition to the caulking is even better—and has the added advantage
of preventing condensation (and thus mold) too! In addition to
preventing the loss of heated or cooled air, avoid heating or cooling
more than you need to. If there is a room that is seldom used, close
the vents there. While this won't seal it off and prevent the air
from entering there completely, it will reduce the waste
significantly.
Manage your light well. This
applies both to natural and artificial lighting. Natural light has a
huge role to play in terms of contributing to the temperature of your
home. During the summer, sunlight is actually a costly intruder. If
you allow it in unfiltered, you will be paying and re-paying to cool
it all day long. Using shades to decrease the amount of sun that
comes in will reduce that expense significantly. If you want to step
it up a notch, use foil on your windows. This will reflect the light
right back outside before it can convert itself into energy (heat)
inside your house. Of course, during winter months, the same
principle applies, but with the opposite application. Letting in
sunlight through closed windows will reduce the amount you spend on
heating. When it comes to artificial lighting, remember to turn off
lights in rooms and closets that aren't being used. Replace
inefficient bulbs with efficient ones, and keep lamps unplugged when
they are not in use (even when they are switched off and plugged in,
they are still using energy).
Manage your plants well.
Plants have a great deal to do with the conservation of resources.
Most people are aware now of the ability of a living roof to shield a
house from excess heat in the summer, thereby reducing the amount
spent on air conditioning significantly. Trees can have a similar
effect when planted strategically. Although purchasing a mature tree
may be costly, this isn't the only way to reap the benefits of tree
shade: buying a sapling of a fast-growing variety may not give you
the shade you seek immediately, but you'll be sure to see its effects
in summers to come. Energy isn't the only resource that plant
management can conserve either: water can be conserved if you give
careful consideration to what you grow. Choosing drought resistant
plants, such as bitterroot, plains prickly pear, and blue flax (all
with stunning blooms, by the way) is a great way to reduce the amount
of you spend watering your yard.
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