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Energy diet coming to Trail

The Kootenay Energy Diet will launch to residents in the Greater Trail area this June.

Sometimes diets can sap your energy in an unhealthy way.

But not this one.

The Kootenay Energy Diet (KED) was officially announced at Salmo council on Tuesday, and will stretch its launch to residents in the Greater Trail area this June.

The KED is a program based on the 2012  success of the Rossland Energy Diet pilot project, and is meant to promote and encourage energy efficiency and conservation to homeowners through out the region.

“The Kootenay Energy Diet is a concept on a regional scale to help our customers reduce energy consumption, save money  and be more comfortable in their homes,” said Patricia Dehnel, program manager, PowerSense Fortis BC.

Dehnel explained, that by signing up and having a $60 home energy-audit assessment, residents will have access to up to $4000 in rebates, once the recommended improvements have been completed.

Personalized energy assessments are so homeowners know exactly what they can do in their homes to conserve as much energy as possible, said Dehnel.

Included in the energy-audit is free lighting (five energy-efficient bulbs), a low-flow shower head and pipe insulation.

There will be a pre-launch opportunity in Trail for workers in the trade, such as insulation and furnace installers, to come and learn about the program on May 27, said Dehnel.

The official KED kicks off  in Trail on June 11 in the Cominco Gym and in Rossland at the Miners Hall on June 12.

On those dates, the public can come and meet the installers, ask individual questions and register their homes for a $60 energy-audit, said Dehnel.

Each home assessment is very thorough and can take two to three hours, explained Carol Suhan, manager of FortisBC PowerSense Services.

First, an energy advisor (auditor) will perform a visual inspection of the residence from foundation to rooftop.

The auditor will measure insulation; assess airtightness up to the attic; and  note the age and efficiency of your heating and cooling system, said Suhan.

She explained  that a blower-door test involves sealing a door with a plastic barrier that has a fan built in, which in turn, blows the air out of your house.

By measuring the change in air pressure, the test gauges how airtight your home is, and allows the auditor to assign the home with an EnerGuide rating.

An EnerGuide rating is a standard measure of your home’s energy performance, and informs the homeowner (and future buyers) exactly how energy efficient your home is.

Now is a really good time to have the test done, because after 2015, an Energuide rating will be a requirement when selling your home, said Suhan.



Sheri Regnier

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