The Saturday Star (Toronto) published an article on environmental tips for “living green” and broke down 5 “categories” in which every day people can help. Topping the list are recommendations for transportation — arguably the largest contributor to global warming. Second on the list comes heating, to no great surprise.
Though a one recommendation lists lowering your thermostat by 1 degree celsius to save up to 2% on your heating bill, the real focus is on saving the heating that is actually produced. Comfort is a big priority of the North American lifestyle, and while 1 or 2 degrees isn’t overly noticeable, after that you begin to find yourself wearing sweaters around the house. Their other recommendation is insulating basement walls and the attic — both excellent recommendations, however insulating a basement wall often leads to a decrease in floor space in your room if the existing studs are not large enough to support extra insulation.
Sadly, insulating the exterior walls of your home with EIFS is overlooked. Accounting for more heat loss than any other aspect of your home (35%), insulating your walls has the chance of saving you the most money of any renovation. Not only is renovating with EIFS a great way to update the look of your home, you stand to save anywhere from 25-40% on your heating bills. Add in the grants given by the government — $3,000 (and possibly more), the most of any renovation, and the high ROI on EIFS, and you have a no brainer for the #1 choice of “green” renovations to pursue.
For more details on just how much money you can save, check out ourenergy efficiency calculator
Tags: degrees, eifs, exterior walls, global warming, insulating, living green, money, Saturday star, save, toronto, you can make a difference