Homeworks would like to give a special thanks to everyone who came out and visited our booth at EPIC the Sustainable Living Expo. It took place on May 28th-30th at the Vancouver Convention Center.

The expo is Western Canada’s largest sustainable consumer trade show and eco-marketplace. It provided a great opportunity for people to learn more about greener living and inspiring ideas. We had lots of people come and visit our booth and inquiring about what energy efficient upgrades would be right for their home.

We were able to provide some great information and the show gave people a chance to see some real live displays of heat pumps, solar, windows and more. We are pleased to announce that we also had a contest which included prizes such as a Power Cost Home Energy Monitor and much more!

We hope to see everyone at our next show of come visit us at our showrooms in Burnaby and Port Moody.

Homeworks is proud to announce we are offering Thermal Imaging as a new service!

Some of you may be wondering what is it and what is it used for? A thermal imaging audit will provide visual images and a report detailing areas of heat loss with an infrared camera.  The advantage of this service is that it will show you where in your home are the greatest areas of heat loss and will help prioritize renovations. For example, in older homes it is extremely difficult to tell where areas of settled insulation are; a thermal imaging report will save you time and money from having to rip open walls, floors or ceilings.

Poor or inadequate insulation which has settled over time can cause discomfort, condensation build-up and unnecessarily high heating costs. Thermal imaging can quickly identify areas of concern, determine affected areas and help prioritize renovations.

Ever wondered how efficient the windows and doors of your home are? Inefficient windows and doors could be your home’s single largest area of heat loss. You will be able to compare efficiency, assess thermal performance and detect defects such as improper window installations, gas leaks and uninsulated door. Below gives a before and after look of windows Homeworks installed in a recent housing co-op; Killarney Gardens.

With our thermal imaging assessment you will receive a report that is a great way to document your energy savings before and after upgrades. For more details call 604.697.5700 or visit one of our showrooms and ask to speak with Michael Gee, Homeworks’ own thermal imaging consultant.

Homeworks Financing is a great alternative for those of you who are considering an energy-efficient home upgrade.

Why should you consider Homeworks Financing?

This is a good route if you haven’t quite saved enough money for you upgrade or even if you have, it doesn’t tie you down to paying large sums of money all at once. Also, for financing agreements, we don’t ask for a down payment if you have chosen to finance.  Homeworks financing typically offers a lower interest rate than your average bank loan. Currently we have a special offer for No Interest & No Payments for 6 Months.

What’s involved in the process?

For some, the thought of financing can be scary, but as you will read it’s actually quite simple and easy. All you have to do is fill out an application, which is also available online. You should receive a response within two hours of your application of whether or not you have been approved.

When you choose Homeworks for your home renovation, the loan will start after the job has been completed and installed to your satisfaction. Therefore, you are not required to pay anything before then.

What are the hidden details?

So this sounds too good to be true, there must be some hidden details. The truth is, there isn’t. The loan is totally open, meaning there are no restrictions of when you can pay unlike other financing deals. There are no hidden fees or penalties and the program is run with TD Financing Services.

If you are interested in Homeworks Financing, call 604.697.5700 or visit our showrooms.

As promised we are posting updates for the Provincial Grant initiative, LiveSmart BC. Homeworks is here to help you understand how you can save money and have the home upgrades done that you have always wanted.

The provincial government has recently announced that they have brought back the successful LiveSmart BC program. So what does this mean for you?

Under the LiveSmart BC program, you can qualify for Provincial Grants, to improve the energy-efficiency of your home. This offer is available for those of you who have had your (pre-retrofit) energy assessment performed on or after April 1, 2010 and complete a follow-up (post retrofit) energy assessment by March 31, 2011.

Through the program, there is no maximum grant amount that you can receive! However Homework is able to provide almost all of the services eligible for grants and you could receive up to $4500 in grants for a single family home! It get’s better, Homeworks will provide you with a credit for the cost of the assessments not covered the LiveSmart program!

NOTE: If you undertake at least two eligible improvements and increase you home’s overall EnerGuide rating, you can be eligible for the additional incentives:

LiveSmart Gold Bonus: Increase your rating by 40 points and receive $1000 in Interior and Northern areas or $700 in South Coastal areas (must achieve a minimum post-retrofit rating of 60).

LiveSmart Silver Bonus: Increase your rating by 20 points and receive $500 in Interior and Northern areas or $400 in South Coastal areas (must achieve a minimum post-retrofit rating of 50).

Find out how much you can save on each upgrade:

Provincial Grant Details (PDF)

Anyone who had their initial ecoENERGY “D” assessment done before August 16th, 2009, are still eligible for the LiveSmart BC grants. The energy efficient upgrades and ecoENERGY “E” assessments need to be completed within 18 months of the initial evaluation to qualify.

Take advantage of these grants and don’t forget to take advantage of our Special Offers and Incentives. Call today for a Free In-Home Consultation at 604.697.5700.

With the recent announcement regarding the Federal ecoEnergy Retrofit program some of you may be confused as to what you are still eligible for. Well not to worry Homeworks is here to clear up any questions you may have.

For those of you who have already booked your initial ecoEnergy audit (pre-retrofit evaluation), have completed an evaluation or applied for re-entry to the program, you are still eligible to apply for the Federal Grants. The deadline for applying for a grant is 18 months after you initial ecoEnergy assessment or until March 31st, 2011, whichever is first.

Don’t fall under any of the categories listed above? Not to worry, the Provincial Government has recently announced that LiveSmart BC program which will be re-implemented soon and details are expected to be announced shortly.

If you have any questions regarding the grants that are available to you or are interested in making some energy-efficiency upgrades, call 604.697.5700 or visit one of our showrooms.