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IB DOWN TO EARTH -REDUCE YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL SAVE MONEY AT HOME / FOOTPRINT, TRY THESE TIPS & MIKE PEARSON mpearson@ 3g hamiltonnews.com | Thursday, With Earth Day just around the corner, energy efficient living is not only good for the planet, but it in also help save a few bucks now and in the] long- erm. We asked Greg Dona- hue, a Product manager at Relian Comfort, for some tips on how tolow- tainably at home. Hereare some ideas: LOW-HANGING FRUIT If you! 're still using halo- ing to LED bulbs that up to 80 per cent more effi- cient, while producing less heat. DOWN 4 10 “EARTH To use less water, try low-flow fixtures like toi- lets and shower heads. If you don't have a pro- grammable thermostat, a a perms will en- yur home isn't being ee or while you're not there. If you're still using a conventional storage tank water heater, you might want to consider switching to a tankless water heater. “Everybody's pretty fa- miliar with the typical stor- age tank water heaters that keep 40 or 60 gallons of wa- ter hot 24/7," Donahue not- ed. With a tankless water er, water is heated only when it's needed, when a tap turned or a dish- washer or washing ma- chine is running. "Instead of using gas or electricity to keep the wa- ter hot at all times, it heats the water only when you need it," Donahue ex- plained. Tankless water heaters are becoming more popu- lar, Donahue noted “We are seeing growth in this space due to urban- ization and customer pref- erence for improved effi- ciency. We have seen tank- less water heater growth Clara Blakelock photo Many homeowners are switching to cold-climate air-source heat pumps, shown here, to save money and to keep their home warm during the winter while remaining climate-conscious. around 10-20 per cent since 2021." S said heat umps have been among the most popular topics in today's heating, ventila- tion, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. "It's really just an air conditioner that has the ability to work’ in reverse,” Donahue note Heat tite can heat or cool Pied home. ‘When heating your home, it's extracting heat from outside through the wer of refri De plained. "It's able to extract the heat from the outside that's quite cold. Some of the models go down to mi- nus-30. Even in the sum- mer, these heat pumps are more efficient from a SEER rating (seasonal energy ef- ficiency ratio) perspective compared to an average air conditioner." Homeowners can access of incentives and rebates when installing heat pumps. Up to $5,000 is available through a a s Canada program, Donahue noted. In ‘on mta- rio, Enbridge has a pro- gram launched in January called the Home Efficiency Rebate Program, with sim ilar t ditions to the Natural ‘Resources Canada federal program. Up to $7,100 in rebates are available through to $5,600 is also available for non-Enbridge custom- rs through the Canada Greener Homes Initiative. Rebate amounts include $600 for a mandatory Ener- gy Audit from a certified government and utility re- bates independent of Reli- ance. Other a ba con- ions may Visit Natural Revue ‘Canada for details. AIR CONDITIONERS With cooling season just afew weeks. away, D Donahue advises with a minimum 16 SEER rating. “We call 16 SEER the floor for what we would consider energy efficient," he noted. For more information, see reliancehomecomfort- .com. SAVE 59% ON HOME DELIVERY access to the Waterloo Region Record ePaper! WATERLOO REGION RECORD Friday & Saturday Home Delivery JUST $ T 9 9g WEEK! Subscribe at: wroffer.ca/deal/CNWRI199 or call 1-800-210-5210 and mention offer code: CNWR199 *Plus HST. Save 59% off the \d rate for Friday and Saturday di is not available to current Waterloo Region Record subscribers. This offer includes complimentary access to the Waterloo Region Record ePaper edition and therecord.com. The New Tk Times international Wee Jeekly and Book Review section and TV Week are not included. Home delivery will continue after the 12-month introductory period at the regular home-delivery rate then in effect. Contact customer service at 800-210-5210 to oe the regular rate for your area. Payment must be made by credit card only. View our subscriber agreement at therecord.com/agreement and our privacy policy at thestar.com/privacy. Offer expires April 30, 2023. waterloochronicle.ca