When my wife and I were married many years ago we used to get natural gas bills of less than $15 per month. In the coldest months the gas bill rarely exceeded $40 per month.

Today our equalized natural gas bill is $174 monthly. Granted when we first got married wages were a lot less. In reality, the cost of natural gas was easily equated to what things cost in those days. Our first home cost less than the vehicle I bought 18 months ago. I could never have imagined how things would change over one-third of a century. Nevertheless, ways do exist to stretch the dollars you spend on energy costs.

In the years I have been associated with construction, I have seen many changes in technique that greatly reduce energy usage.

The least expensive item you can initiate is to increase the insulation levels in your attic. Today, if you do not have at least 10” of insulation, or R 32, you are letting heat escape through your roof and losing valuable energy, resulting in higher energy costs. Nevertheless, I would recommend having at least a minimum of 12” of insulation. Most energy consultants will say with a properly insulated attic your heating bills can be reduced as much as 30%.

Today, basement walls are insulated to comply with building code requirements. If you live in an older house, you should consider insulating the exposed concrete walls with a minimum of 3 1/2” of an appropriate insulation. In order to keep the insulation in place it will be necessary to erect walls, and after the insulation is installed, cover the walls with polyethylene vapor barrier. It is OK to use Styrofoam insulation, but, it must be protected with drywall because in a fire, the Styrofoam “off gases” are toxic.

Naturally, if you want to develop the basement this should be the time to complete the wiring. If you are completing any electrical work, make sure you obtain an electrical permit. Homeowners can actually get a permit for carrying out their own electrical work.

Installing a mid efficient furnace that operates at approximately 80% rating will reduce the cost of natural gas. In fact a mid-efficient furnace operates approximately 25% more efficiently than a standard furnace. Replacing a furnace older than 25 years is prudent, as most furnaces are obsolete at that age, and are near the standard age for replacement. One should consider the cost and factor in the time it will take for amortizing the expense.

High efficient furnaces are also available, but cost more and require changes to your venting system. High efficient furnaces operate between 92% and 96% efficiency. An annual service call is also necessary if you install a high efficient furnace.

Installing new windows is expensive, nevertheless, new windows do lower energy costs. Today we have vinyl windows, which are more efficient than windows constructed 20 years ago. I prefer vinyl because very little maintenance is required.

Another way to save money is to install a thermostat that can be programmed to adjust the interior temperatures when you sleep or are out at work. I recommend a temperature of approximately 17 C during the times when you’re sleeping or away. Other times 21 C is recommended.

If you have an air conditioned home, which uses the furnace ductwork for distribution, consider using the whole home air conditioning sparingly. Keep your south facing windows curtained and run your furnace on fan only to bring cool air from the basement to be distributed through your home using the existing home heating ducts. You may also want to install powered roof vents to eliminate the warm air that builds up in the attic on hot summer days.

Another way you can save money is to make sure your hot water tank provides hot water no hotter than 50 C. Anything above this temperature is not wise because of the possibility of third degree burns, and the tank cycles on and off more often.

I would also suggest you check out web sites for other information: www.climatechange.gc.ca www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca and www.cmhc.ca. One of the best publications available is called Keeping the Heat In.

-The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Calgary Real Estate News. Paul Tobolski RHI, DIPL. A.A. & T. (Architectural Technology) is the owner of Ability Home Inspections and can be reached at 519-6038 or 286-HOME(4663). Paul has over 35 years experience in the areas of design, construction, maintenance and inspection of homes. He has been a member of CAHPI (Ab.) since 1993 and is the past president of CAHPI (Ab.).