Green Living: Benefits and Savings

Green Living In Toronto

Programs, Rebates and Incentives

Health: A Green Home eliminates many health-related hazards such as poor ventilation, water leaks, mold, pests, and lead.

Comfort. A Green Home provides a more comfortable living environment without drafty rooms, condensation on windows, dry air, summer overheating, icicles on roofs and peeling exterior paint.

Efficiency. A Green Home uses substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating, thereby contributing to energy conservation, reducing emissions, and facilitating the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy (a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production).

Peace of mind. A Green Home means you are providing a safe and environmentally sound place for you and your family to live in, while contributing to a community with less pollution and improved air and water quality.

Higher resale value. The American Appraisal Journal cites a $10 to $20 increase in resale value for every $1 in annual energy cost savings of a Green Home. According to a TD Canada Trust Green Home Poll, 72% of Canadians surveyed indicated they would be willing to pay more for a house or condo that includes environmentally friendly features.

Savings. A typical homeowner could save up from $200 to $500 per year or more on costs for electricity, gas, water, sewage and solid waste disposal by “going green”.

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Further Readng:

Green Living And Our Planet

The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world's natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had. We need to go green to save our planet.

Economical Benefit. Whatever you choose to do in and around your home, as well as reducing your environmental impact, your green actions are bound to save you money. Even with small steps you could already save yourself a fairly significant amount of money over the course of a year. With the predicted rise of electricity costs over the next 5 years, a saving of only $30 per month adds up to $46 per month in 2015. If you were to use the monthly savings of $30 for paying off your mortgage faster, you would end up paying thousands of dollars less on interest rates*.

*For example: Paying off $30 per month extra on a $400,000 mortgage loan with a term of 25 years and a yearly interest rate of 5%, will result in a saving of over $7,200.00 on interest payments (and you end up paying off your mortgage 6 months sooner).

Green Incentives. Finally, Going Green comes with financial incentives (see our Rebates & Incentives page in this section) that could save you hundreds of dollars. There are several conservation and renewable energy programs available in Ontario to stimulate you in your efforts to live green. Some of them offer tools and tips to reduce energy and water consumption, while others offer grants, incentives, discounts or free services.