It’s never too late to become energy efficient. In our third installment of the “Save Money, Save Energy” series, we talk about Larry’s journey to fix the leaks in his 106-year old home.

"The building standards from 1912 do not come anywhere near close the current standards of the 1990s, never mind the 2000s. It’s been an interesting process with MyEnergyXpert.”

It’s easy to get comfortable with the status quo when you retire. Apparently, no one told our latest guest in the “Save Money, Save Energy” series.

Larry has had the pleasure of retiring in his current home. He keeps active by hunting and taking on DIY woodworking projects. With his newfound spare time, it’s clear that Larry isn’t interested in sitting around and doing nothing.

Larry makes home improvements frequently. This makes sense, given that as homes age, they become less energy efficient. In fact, Larry’s home has been around since 1912, which predates many of the city’s oldest institutions, including the TTC, the ROM, and Union Station.

“I’ve come back to the audit a half a dozen times. I spend about an hour on the platform each time I’m on it.”

From a behavioural perspective, Larry’s as responsible with his energy usage as he can be. He never leaves his light on while he doesn’t have to. He’s ultra-conscious of using that energy when it’s off-peak hours. But there’s only so much you can do with a 106-year old home. Two weeks ago, Larry replaced installed spray foam insulation in his walls.

He then discovered MyEnergyXpert. Given the age of his home, he qualified for several incentives to upgrade his insulation and more. After viewing his savings plan, Larry emailed his auditor to set up his first appointment.

“It’s an ongoing battle. I think I upgrade my home once every six months.”

The more we spoke to Larry, the more we couldn’t help but admire his dedication. MyEnergyXpert ensures that upgrading their home is a reality for homeowners everywhere.

But it’s hard to imagine anyone deserving them more than Larry. If he’s going to be doing the work on his home anyway, why wouldn’t he want to get rebates for doing so?

Some people dismiss Generation X'ers as technologically incompetent; Larry is a clear exception. Being on the internet every day meant he was regularly coming back to the platform.

Qualifying for rebates and incentives almost became a hobby. If he kept winning, why should he stop playing the game? As exciting as saving money was, there was something even more pressing for Larry to learn through MyEnergyXpert.

“There was no way I would have thought of looking at those areas without having the audit done.”

Ever feel a winter draft in your home? Poor quality insulation is one explanation, but another is much more significant: leakage. If you have faulty windows and older light bulbs, you can tell. That said, having air leaks is something you won’t notice until you’re forced to wear a parka in your own home.

Larry came to MyEnergyXpert for the discounts to embrace his hobbies, but stayed because we revealed a larger issue. MyEnergyXpert's value often comes from the money it saves homeowners. But a larger part of it is to help them improve the comfort of their home.

It’s rare that you can design software that’s not only fun, but helps people at the same time. Even for someone as proactive as Larry, an all-you-can eat buffet of financial incentives to upgrade your home isn’t exactly easy to find. There’s a plethora of programs out there for everyone, but how do you find these rebates? And even if you do, how can you qualify for them?

Learn about the savings and incentives available to you by trying MyEnergyXpert.

Want to learn more about insulation in your home? Head to Great Northern Insulation's website to request a free home assessment.

SMSE with Larry