VANCOUVER -- A common problem in households this time of year is that the home cools down to quickly after the furnace shuts off.

Many homeowners are mistaken thinking that it is the inefficiency of their furnace.

Often times the problem actually is that the home doesn't have enough insulation. 

The envelope of the home includes the attic, windows, walls and the crawl space.

All these areas of the household help keep the heat in.

Many older homes have four inches or insulation or less.

For those with a crawlspace where the home predates the 1970s, owners will often discover there is no insulation at all.

Luckily, these are two areas that are very simple to upgrade.

When it comes to the walls and the windows it can become very difficult for the average person to know if they have insulation or not.

It is often easiest to focus on what will have the most impact when considering an upgrade.

It is relatively easy to remove inefficient old windows and install new energy efficient windows.

Homeowners looking to upgrade should take advantage of available rebates.

BC Hydro and Fortis both have rebates that are designed to offset some of the costs for those upgraded items like windows and insulation.

When it comes to windows, homeowners will have to put in something that is better than building code.

In an effort to stimulate the local economy during COVID-19 BC Hydro, Fortis along with the government are offering a short term promotion that will create a double up rebate.

The friendly team at Centra Windows are happy to answer any questions when it comes to these upgrades.