FILE PHOTO
Image Credit: PEXELS/Erik Mclean
June 22, 2022 - 12:30 PM
Penticton is taking part in a regional district pilot project that compares a home’s energy efficiency with that of its neighbours.
The free online service provides owners of single-family homes with a customized energy efficiency report in about five minutes, according to a City of Penticton media release issued June 20.
The service is provided in a partnership between the regional district and Properate.io with the goal of reducing energy waste.
The online service uses data from B.C. Assessment to do the calculations with the ratings displayed on a sliding scale from red, being the least efficient, to green or net zero.
People’s homes are automatically placed on a map that can be searched by address so you can see how your neighbours are faring.
Along with the mapping, the report generated will tell the homeowner estimated costs of upgrades needed to make the house more energy efficient, things like installing new windows, insulation or even a heat pump for heating and cooling. There will be links to the latest rebates available.
Improving a home’s energy efficiency can reduce electricity and natural gas bills, make the home warmer or cooler depending on the season, create less negative impact on the environment and increase property values.
“As part of the City’s Community Climate Action Plan, roughly 2.25 per cent of houses each year throughout Penticton will need to be retrofitted to meet our community emission reduction target for 2050,” the city’s community sustainability coordinator David Kassian said in the release.
For more information about the Properate project, which will run into 2023, go here.
The regional district is also looking for volunteers to join neighbourhood pilot projects of three or more homes. Go here to find out more.
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