How’s your furnace, baby? Things hot enough for you at home? Getting the occasional chilly reception when your utility bills arrive?

Direct Energy, noticing that the temperatures have dropped, has decided to share some of the experience they’ve gained visiting a good portion of the 883,000 semi-detached homes that Albertans currently inhabit.

"We visit thousands of homes each year in Alberta and we see so many simple fixes homeowners could do to reduce their energy bills," said Dave Walton, Director of Home Ideas for Direct Energy. The press release GayCalgary Magazine received about this new initiative didn’t mention if Mr. Walton was ‘hot’ himself, but it does provide more prosaic information about how to keep our readers happy through the cold, hard months of Canada’s dark season.

Dave continued: "Now is the time for homeowners to take action on home energy efficiency and make those small changes around the house. Costs are always higher throughout the winter and the mercury is starting to drop."

Dave’s Direct Energy colleagues gathered data based on a typical Canadian home, defined by the Canadian Real Estate Association, Statistics Canada and Natural Resources Canada as: 1,860 square feet, 40 years old and two stories. Does this sound like your home?

Well, ‘weather’ it does or not, they have some suggestions about how to reduce your wintery utility costs. And while it may seem counter-intuitive to spend money to save money, notice that these costs are mostly one-time-only, and the savings are annual. And, as a further incentive to gather your hard-earned pennies while you can, Dave includes ideas on treats to buy with the saved monies from these seven efficient habits:

1) Replace your furnace filter every 3 months to keep your furnace running efficiently - save $53.00/year - put the savings toward a ski lift pass;

2) Seal leaks around doors, windows and exterior wall electrical outlets to keep the warm air in - save $37.90/year - enjoy 22 more cups of coffee this year;

3) Insulate your basement to improve the overall comfort of the basement and prevent warm air escaping along the joist cavities - save $67.00/year - buy a Canadian Olympic sweatshirt;

4) Insulate your attic to cut down on heating costs, a minimum of 12 inches of insulation - save $42.30/year - buy four pairs of mittens;

5) Lower the temperature setting on your thermostat by two degrees - save $150.00/year - get yourself the cashmere scarf you’ve always wanted;

6) If your furnace is older or experiencing frequent breakdowns, upgrade to a high efficiency furnace - save $197.60/year - escape the winter cold altogether and put this towards a plane ticket to the sunny south;

7) Clean your ducts to remove dust and debris and help your furnace do its job - save $53.00/year - buy a handful of new books to cozy up on the couch with.

Don’t you feel better already? But wait, there’s more!

Direct Energy notes that while not every homeowner can undertake all seven steps at once, even just implementing three easy changes (sealing leaks, changing the furnace filter regularly and lowering the thermostat by two degrees) could add up to $240.90/year. If you can manage all 7, you could save up to $600.00. Dave also notes that if you add a humidifier (so you feel comfortable at lower temperatures), open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day and close them at night (heat banking),and consider installing insulating window treatments, you’ll save even more, though he won’t offer numbers for those effects.

Now, these numbers, as Direct Energy carefully claims, are based on current gas and electricity prices and the average home mentioned above, but don’t be dissuaded by such careful enthusiasm: reducing energy use means you can save the world and save money at the same time! Where else can you do that?

Happy Holidays!