Simple home maintenance and proper management will do more than save you on the cost of expensive repairs and expensive utility bills.
Considering the average Canadian home owner will spend more than $2,100 over 2014 on utilities (source: Canadian Consumer Information Gateway), it really makes dollars and cents-sense to do what you can to reduce those hefty bills.
There is nothing like avoiding huge bills if you can. Let's face it, green-living is a secondary benefit! People the world over have taken to green-living as a direct result of rising utility bills and not because they care about the planet.
We all care about the planet. It's just that it is hard to get motivated to do something about it when there isn't much in the way of tangible incentive.
That's all about to change. Save the planet right after you save your wallet.
C4U Home Inspection & Building Consultant's top 5 home maintenance and management ways to reduce your utility bills:
1. Clean out your air conditioning.
Just by simply dusting your air conditioning vents and filters you will greatly reduce the amount of power you consume. Electricity continues to be the biggest and fastest rising utility bill in Canada. Electricity will only get more expensive if you are paying for it at the mains for many years to come (carbon-based and fossil fuelled power plants are not going to be turned off for a long time to come).
2. Lower your cooling temperature.
Did you know that setting your cooling temperature to the most effective setting can reduce power consumption by 70%. Just because it is hot outside, that doesn't mean it needs to be cold inside. You only need to be cool.
3. Home insulation maintenance.
It's time to get out your home maintenance cap and check your insulation is in good shape. Holes in your insulation are like holes in a water bag -- the water falls out. Cooler air will escape and hot air will get into your home. Heat transfer through materials is expediated by worn, damaged or missing insulation. If you are really stuck for cash, you can utilise what insulation you have to fill any holes or gaps -- in this case, a little less and no hole is a whole lot more!
4. Use the sun!
Use every bit of sun you can. Can you avoid using a clothes dryer? Can you add a skylight? There are so many ways to enhance your home with sun and make it reduce your home ownership costs.
5. Water heater maintenance and management.
Regular checks of your water heater will save you from dangerous and explosive repair bills. Plumbing costs a fortune. Now is the best time to check connections and the general condition of you home water heating system. The replacement of a simple rubber washer could save you thousands of dollars. Water heater replacement is shockingly expensive. During warmer months reduce the temperature setting for bigger savings and give your water heater a break from the hard work it has done during the colder months. Do you really need water that hot?
If you just want to ask our chief inspector, Lloyde Kenzle, a question on anything to do with home maintenance, repairs and home inspections, he is more than happy to oblige.
Ask any question you want. C4U Inspections information service is free of charge and at no obligation -- in other words, you don't have to be asking about something that is directly related to us giving you a service.
Want to know how much a service will cost?
While it is difficult to set a fixed price for home inspections and home maintenance programs, Lloyd is very good at providing a reliable quote online -- if you can provide the information required. The more information you provide helps Lloyd with an instant and accurate quote C4U Inspections will stand by.
Generally speaking, C4U Inspections has a set minimum fee for each type of certified inspection -- with additional conditions, such as the size of the building, the age of your home, and the amount of built-in appliances, for example.
Want to know how much home repairs will cost and how much you should be paying?
Lloyd has years of experience. If you are wondering how much repairs should cost, he's a great resource and a great way to know if you've be quoted a reasonable fee. As a licensed home inspector in BC, Lloyd must adhere to a strict code of conduct. All and any advice provided is only speculative and for information purposes only.*
If you have images, photos and other bulky documents, please upload them to Google Documents or DropBox and share the link in the details box below. No question is too small or silly to ask. Lloyd spends a couple of hours at his desk each afternoon after managing the days projects and will reply to you as soon as possible.
Need more information and have questions? Contact C4U Inspections today
*Lloyd doesn't break the rules for anyone and as a leading chief home inspector in BC, that means he follows industry requirements, government regulations and licensing codes of conduct to the letter.
Unbiased, ethical and professional home inspection and building consulation services.
Serving the Okanagan Since 2005
