Its time for the residents of Trail to slim down.
And this summer, the City of Trail is willing to help with the diet.
It is not a traditional diet aimed at losing pounds, instead the Kootenay Energy Diet (KED) is meant to reduce energy consumption in your home, and hopefully reduce the dollar amount on your Fortis bill.
As an incentive and challenge for residents to lighten their energy load, last week Trail council passed a resolution to support the “ener-vention” by paying $25 toward the $60 fee for the first 100 residents who sign up for the program.
“If ever there was an opportunity to improve the energy efficiency in your house, this is the perfect time,” said Coun. Gord DeRosa.
He said that his 36-year old house is not as cozy as it should be, so he has already signed up for an energy assessment on the Fortis BC website.
“This winter I had an energy bill that was $748,” explained DeRosa.
“I thought, how am I going to sustain myself in this house as it is today,” he said.
“I need to learn what new technology is out there to make my home more toasty and comfy while I reduce those costs.”
Fortis BC will host its official Trail launch of the KED on June 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Trail Cominco gym.
That night, the public is invited to listen to the KED presentation; meet tradesman qualified to complete home upgrades; ask individualized questions; and register homes for an energy-audit.
Each home assessment is very thorough and can take up to two to three hours, explained Patricia Dehnel, program manager, PowerSense Fortis BC.
First, an energy advisor (auditor) will perform a visual inspection of the residence from foundation to roof top.
In addition, the auditor will measure insulation; assess airtightness up to the attic; and note the age and efficiency of your heating and cooling system, said Dehnel.
A blower-door test will be conducted, which 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 an EnerGuide rating.
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.
On June 12, Fortis will launch its KED in Rossland from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Rossland Miners Hall.