Increasingly, as the focus in housing turns more and more to energy efficiency and conservation, homeowners in Regina and throughout Canada are cashing in on government incentives to make necessary updates in their homes.  While it does require an initial investment, the benefits include decreasing utility bills, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve the comfort level in homes.  And it likely won’t cost you as much as you might think.

The first step is having an energy audit completed on your home.  The cost can vary widely, and, depending upon the contractor you hire, may be related to the total square footage of your home.  You can expect to pay somewhere between $150 and $500 or more, but the cost can be offset by government incentives.  You can learn more about the grants and rebates offered in Saskatchewan here.

Once your initial audit is complete and you know what improvements are recommended, you can do the math to decide just how much money you’ll be saving in energy costs, how much time it will take for the improvements to pay for themselves, as well as how much you can expect to receive back through government incentive programs.  The federal ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program has given out an average of $1,130 per home among over 85,000 homeowners, and those Canadians are saving an average of 30% per year (about $700/year on a $2,000 heating bill).

After you complete the home improvements recommended in your initial energy audit, the federal program requires that you schedule a post-energy assessment to verify that the changes comply with federal and provincial criteria.  Some government programs will even pay part of the audit fees, so they will cost homeowners less, too.

It has never been easier to go green, and the real estate market is finding a boom in buyers looking for homes that are already energy efficient.  If you’re in the market to purchase a Regina home, give me a call!  Backed by Exit Realty Fusion, designated as Saskatchewan’s only Ecobroker, I have the expertise to help you choose your dream home that is also earth friendly!