Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 19/05) - It wasn't on national TV and there wasn't a famous host, but a Yellowknife home owner is nevertheless pleased with the energy make-over her house went through.

Linda Bussey reads up on the One-Tonne challenge. She recently had some help from Ecology North and Arctic Energy Alliance in making her home more energy efficient. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Staff from Ecology North and Arctic Energy Alliance helped Linda Bussey start on the road to a more energy efficient house last week.

"My three children tell me I have no vision of what the future entails so I wanted to become more aware," said Bussey.

Eleven people came to the Bussey house to learn about the changes they can make on their own homes.

"This is the time of the year when people start thinking about energy efficiency," said Doug Ritchie from Ecology North.

During the event, the first of its kind, Stephen Fancott from Arctic Energy Alliance demonstrated parts of the EnerGuide for house evaluations.

Using a blower door, which fits over an outside door, Fancott depressurized the house to test for leaks and determine the rate of air change.

The more times the air in a house replaces itself in an hour, the leakier it is.

An average house has five changes.

Using a smoke pencil, Fancott went around the house checking for leaks on windows and doors.

The EnerGuide for houses evaluations has become popular in the city. There is a three-week waiting list to have an evaluation done.

The demand has been steady, but it's expected to increase because of the rise in fuel prices, said Fancott.

More than 400 evaluations have been done since the program started in 2002.

It costs approximately $125 for the two and a half hour test that shows how a house is performing, what can be changed and what the payback will be.

The easiest and quickest thing for homeowners to do is seal air leaks.

It can save $200 to $300 the first year, Fancott said. He also suggests installing more insulation in attics and basements and changing to a high efficiency furnace.

"We've seen some poor souls with $6,000 and $7,000 heating bills," said Fancott.