by Brent Lennox
Depicted above is an aerial image of Richmond/Knob Hill and shows the energy efficiency of houses in the neighbourhood in 2015, with red indicating lots of heat loss and blue representing minimal heat loss. Can you find your house?
We live in a world that wastes more energy than it consumes every year. Improving energy efficiency is one of the easiest ways to reduce our utility bills and save energy, but it is hard for people to know where to start. If you want to learn more about the energy efficiency of your house and how you stack up against your neighbours, the aerial imaging at www.myheat.ca is a good place to start and it’s free to use!
Inexpensive ways to reduce energy use include fixing cracks in walls, doors and windows with weather stripping and other do-it-yourself approaches. If you’re looking for the next home renovation project to improve the energy efficiency of your house, one economic approach is to further insulate your attic, while more expensive alternatives can include replacing windows and doors.