When planning a renovation, a lot of clients like to choose environmentally friendly options. These are great when you consider how they affect your monthly costs for utilities. When problems are encountered as part of the renovation process, the best choice is to fix any deficiencies. This is especially true when it comes to insulation and vapour barrier as these things also improve the energy efficiency of the home.

Unfortunately, one of the things that is often overlooked when budgeting are the current appliances and how much they cost you every month in utilities. There are times when clients have said to us that they would just keep their old fridge in order to save money during their kitchen renovations even if they are old and ugly. It’s time to look beyond the aesthetics of your current model and the up-front costs of a new one.

When we moved in to our current house, it came with a fridge. We already had a fridge that we love, but we kept the one that came with the house. We don’t use it very often, it is stashed away in the basement and it is rarely turned on. We keep it for those big family get-togethers where everyone brings food and there are always lots of leftovers.

I’ll admit, there are times when I’m lazy and forget to turn the extra fridge off (especially if there is extra ice cream hiding in the freezer). There have been times when it has stayed on for a month at a time even if the need for the extra fridge is minimal. That is, until I get my next hydro bill! There have been a few times when that hydro bill has come in with an extra $60-80 that I wasn’t expecting to have to pay. This always prompts me to run downstairs, throw out any unnecessary items (eat some ice cream) and turn it off!

Now you might be thinking that your costs for your fridge aren’t that high. You might also think that a new fridge would just be replacing your current costs. In part, you’re correct. However, the fridges that they make today are much more energy efficient than older models. Your hydro bill will indeed show savings with a newer model, especially when you consider that the single biggest electricity user in an average gas heated home is the refrigerator. Even if you only save $30 a month, that is $360 saved this year, and $1800 over 5 years.

We love to help you create beautiful spaces. We also like to help you consider all of your options, including the possible hidden costs as well as the potential savings.