I broke down and turned on the furnace for the first time this week and it made me think about all the chores — besides tuning up the furnace — that come with the arrival of cooler weather: winterizing sprinkler systems, applying weatherstripping, cleaning chimneys, washing windows, patching driveways, raking leaves, cleaning out rain gutters, installing energy-efficient doors and windows, fixing leaky roofs, redoing or adding to the landscape, and maybe even adding on to the house.

If you already know who to call, then you’re one step ahead of the game. But if you’ve never had to outsource fall jobs before or if you’re new to town, then you’ll want to find reliable businesses you can trust.

Start by asking friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. You also check the BBB for names of accredited businesses. You can skip asking for recommendations all together and use BBB eQuote to get bids and information from reliable businesses.

After you gather at least three potential businesses to contact, your next step is to check out their BBB Reliability Reports. The BBB’s database — easy to access online at wynco.bbb.org — includes 14,000 businesses in northern Colorado and greater Wyoming. Of those, about 4,100 are BBB Accredited, which means they’re trustworthy businesses that pledge to uphold high ethical standards.

Your second step is to check references. Call them and ask detailed questions about the work they had done. If feasible, ask if you can see the finished project. Ask them if they would hire the contractor again.

Now it’s time to take matters into your own hands. The following list of questions should be asked of all businesses you consider hiring for home projects big or small:

• How long has the company been in business and where is it located? Answers to this question will separate those who live and work in the community from those who travel town to town, state to state — they’re known as “travelers” — in search of work.

• Is the business bonded and insured? Does it have proper business licenses? Ask to see papers verifying this.

• What about warranties? Find out what kind of warranties are provided on both the work and materials. Keep good records so you’re prepared for any problems down the line.

• Does the business have its own crew? Or does it rely on subcontractors? Make sure that you know who the onsite supervisor is for your project. What is the person’s experience? Will they speak and make decisions for the business owner in his or her absence?

• Project timetable? Ask when the job will start and when it will be completed. Ask to have the timetable included in the contract. While you want to remain flexible, oftentimes flexibility turns into delays.

• What will the project cost? Ask for an itemized proposal that includes type of materials so that you can compare apples to apples. Find out the type of payment plan that’s expected and if a deposit is required. The BBB advises that you not pay in cash and that you don’t pay the entire amount upfront.

For more consumer information or to check out the BBBlog, visit wynco.bbb.org or call (970) 484-1348 or (800) 564-0371.

Survey Shows That Most Canadians Have Another “First Day” of Fall

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Sept. 21, 2009) – Fall officially arrives at 5:18 p.m. EDT tomorrow, but most Canadians don’t see it that way, according to an Angus Reid survey conducted for Direct Energy.

Scientifically speaking, Fall arrives with the Autumnal Equinox – one of two times during the year when the sun is directly over the equator, making the length of night and day about equal. (The other time is the Vernal Equinox, when Spring officially arrives.)

But for almost one in four Canadians, the Fall season began weeks ago when they headed back to school. Another 16 per cent said Thanksgiving, on Oct. 12th this year, will be the start of Fall and 6 per cent wait until the frost is on the pumpkin at Halloween before really acknowledging that summer is over.

When asked what specifically signaled the change of seasons for them, the eyes had it. Almost four in five said they know Fall has arrived when they see with their own eyes that the leaves are changing colour.

But we also have a host of Fall rituals, including shutting down the air conditioner, firing up the furnace and otherwise preparing our homes for the changing seasons.

This summer’s unpredictable weather has further clouded the Fall issue, which is why Direct Energy is advising Canadians to be prepared for that inevitable first cold snap by testing their furnaces now in order to avoid a last-minute rush if it needs to be serviced.

“People often get caught off-guard when the first cold day occurs,” said Dave Walton, Director of Home Ideas at Direct Energy. “After having the furnace off for the Summer, it’s important to turn it on and make sure it is working properly before you need it. If there are any issues, leave yourself time to have proper maintenance done so you and your family don’t end up sitting in a cold house.”

Walton also reminds us that home energy efficiency is easy to incorporate into Fall rituals. Here are Dave’s top five tips for homeowners:

1. Proper furnace maintenance: Take the time to ensure your furnace is working properly before the first cold snap hits by turning it on once every 60 days when you aren’t using it, and scheduling a maintenance appointment. Clean or replace your furnace’s filter every 2 – 3 months and save as much as 10 per cent on your heating bill.

2. Cover your air conditioner: By preparing your air conditioner for the cold winter and covering it with a properly fitted cover, you can help ensure it is in top form come next Summer.

3. Out with the old, in with the new: Consider upgrading your old furnace to a new energy efficient unit. Not only will you be saving money on your heating bills, you will also be helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A mid-efficiency furnace operates at 80 per cent efficiency, so 20 cents of each dollar spent goes up the chimney. A new high-efficiency furnace operates at over 90 per cent. Keep in mind, there’s a new national minimum energy performance standard for residential gas furnaces which rolls out on December 31, 2009. The new standard, which requires a minimum of 90% efficiency, is only applicable to new purchases and does not require homeowners to switch out existing furnaces regardless of age. Many high-efficiency furnaces are eligible for government rebates.

4. Get a home energy audit: A home energy audit can help identify areas where your home can be more energy efficient – like window and doors, or appliances. You may even qualify for a federal or provincial rebate if you implement the suggested changes.

5. Cleaner ducts mean cleaner air: By cleaning your ducts, your home ventilation system will operate more efficiently and will help you to breathe easier this winter by improving indoor air quality and reducing the amount of dust in the air.

For more information visit www.directenergy.com.

About the Survey

The online survey was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies on behalf of Direct Energy from August 28-30, 2009. The survey was conducted among a randomly-selected, representative sample of 1,001 adult Canadians aged 18 and over who are members of the Angus Reid Forum online panel. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers with over 5 million residential and commercial customer relationships. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE:CNA), one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 21 states plus DC and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, visit www.directenergy.com.

Direct Energy can offer more tips for home energy efficiency this Fall and information about the survey.

A study to provide field testing tools for measuring the energy consumption of HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems has been commissioned by NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) and carried out by the University of Colorado. The theory is that HVAC system pressure drops and energy savings go hand in hand.
Researchers have been hard at work developing a computer model of the field testing tool in several ways including the typical HVAC component sizes, whether the Air Handling Unit and associated duct work is in the basement, garage, attic or crawl space and the geographical location by climate zone and other considerations.
At this point the study is graduating from computer model to full scale laboratory work, including individual HVAC components including cooling coil, filter, supply and return air ducts. This lab work has brought credit and validation to the computer model.
So far the results have been staggering, the computer model showed that filter type could effect the energy efficiency of a HVAC system by as much as 5%, well not maintaining your filter and letting it get plugged up caused wallet whopping %20 energy efficient loss. For those who have air conditioning systems and let the coil go for more than one year between cleaning be prepared for a 15% increase in energy loss. The biggest energy waster of the bunch is duct leakage loss on both the supply and return air ducts. A 10% loss was used as the reference but study’s have showed as much as 40% losses in the average home, this resulted in a 45% loss in energy.
Right now The university of Colorado is finishing their laboratory tests and the full report is expected to come out in 2010. The study when completed will include pressure loss, temperature, relative humidity and air flow at multiple essential points throughout the laboratory HVAC system.
This study has already proven that regular cleaning of all HVAC components including your furnace and air conditioning systems has a major effect on the energy efficiency of your home, be sure to watch for updates on this study at Furnace Cleaning .info