(NC)—For many homeowners, winter signals an increase in heating bills and a time to combat the chills that come along with the season's damp, dreary weather. Keeping warm during the season can be done by ensuring your home is well-insulated, especially your attic. There are seven million under-insulated attics in Canada. And since attics are a primary source of heat loss in a home, this makes for a great amount of lost energy across the country.
Cheryl West, an insulation expert at Owens Corning says insulating your attic for improved comfort and energy efficiency is an easy do-it-yourself project for any homeowner. Re-insulating the attic can be completed over the weekend with all the materials and tools available at your nearest home building supplies store. And if that's not enough reason to re-insulate your attic this winter, here are more:
• A properly insulated attic can help save on monthly heating costs by up to 28 per cent*.
• An attic insulated to R-50 can help save a half ton** of greenhouse gas emissions annually. That means you'll need to install at least 15 inches PINK FIBERGLAS Batt Insulation along your attic floor to achieve R-50 for optimal thermal resistance.
• The Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) helps homeowners save up to 15 per cent on eligible home renovation expenses, up to a maximum of $1,350, through a non-refundable tax credit.
• Natural Resources Canada provides an ecoENERGY Retrofit Rebate of up to $750 just for insulating the attic alone.
• Matching grants to the ecoENERGY Retrofit Program are also available in select provinces and cities.
Prepare your home for the coming winter and re-insulate your attic today for increased comfort and energy efficiency. You can learn about how to apply for the ecoENERGY Rebate by visiting www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca. Details on the HRTC and how to insulate your attic can be found online at www.insulationtaxcredit.ca and www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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*Savings vary depending on the original amount of insulation in your home, climate, house size, air leaks and personal energy use and living habits. .**Based on an average attic size of 1700 SF with existing R19 insultion, averaged over seven cities in Canada. The colour PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning ©2009 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved.