Moving or not, when it comes to replacing functioning parts of your home, consider these facts before purchasing. These tips may save you money on the sticker price and reduce your water/fuel consumption as well.

REPLACING YOUR TOILET WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY / DUEL FLUSH MODELS:

Both the City of Toronto and York Region presently have rebate programs that will save you $60.00 to $75.00 when you select approved toilet models. For the City of Toronto you can call 416 392 7000 for exact instructions. In York Region exact information on the program is available at www.yorkpromotions.com. In York Region you may replace up to 5 toilets in one location.

Toilets can use up to 30% of water in your house. The new models use up to 66% less water per flush. Calculations show that the savings on your water bill for one year will often equal the price of the toilet!

REPLACING YOUR WASHER AND DRYER:

The City of Toronto has a program that will refund you $60.00 for any model of high efficiency front loading washer. Further details can be obtained at the phone number above. A 60% energy savings and a 40% water savings make this a very economical purchase over time compared to using older top loading models. Certain steam washers can reduce these amounts by about 70%. For a growing family with heavy washing machine usage, this savings can be used against the ever increasing groceries bill.

When replacing your dryer, check with the town about having a gas line into your laundry room. If you use your dryer a lot, over time a gas dryer will really reduce your electricity consumption and your overall utility bill.

REPLACING YOUR DISHWASHER:

Energy Star Rated qualified dish washers use much less HOT water, up to 45% less total water, and up to 41% less electricity than older models. This adds up to savings on your water, gas and electricity bills.

REPLACING YOUR FURNACE/AIR CONDITIONER UNITS:

The average life span of a furnace is about 20 years, whereas the life expectancy of a central air conditioner is 12 to 15 years. Upgrading to a new furnace with an efficiency rating of 80 or above can save you a lot of money in fuel costs. For example, if you upgrade from a 60% efficiency furnace to a 90% efficiency model, you would save $32.00 on every $100.00 spent on fuel. If your unit includes a variable speed direct current motor, the furnace can work on the lower fan speed 90% of the time. This allows for far quieter operation, and can reduce your annual electricity bill by $200 to $300 a year.

Replacing your furnace and air conditioner at the same time will improve the operation of your new air conditioner due to enhanced air circulation.

If your air conditioner is 12 years old, technology has advanced so that the new models can be twice as efficient. Older models operate at a 7-8 seer rating whereas new models can have up to an 18 seer rating. The savings to run the new unit can be over $100 a year on your electricity bill.

(Statistics provided by Direct Energy Home Services for furnace/air conditioning information)