"Don't open that window! I'm cold."
"If you're cold, put on a sweater. It's warm and stuffy in here. I need some air."
Sound familiar?
Nearly half of all Canadians report domestic discontent over the temperatures in their homes, according to a recent Angus Reid survey conducted for Direct Energy. And, is it a coincidence, the company asks with a little levity, that the divorce rate in Canada is 44 per cent?
The conflicts may be rooted in the fact that 63 per cent of male respondents reported that they were in charge of the thermostat in their home, while 67 per cent of women reported the same finding.
Talk about potential for a cold war.
Thermo-spats, as the Direct Energy survey calls them, can be avoided in a few ways.
One way, suggests Dave Walton, director of home ideas, is to sit the entire family down to discuss the cost of heating and cooling, and to come to an agreement on a constant temperature everyone can live with.
So much the better if you can agree on ways to make your energy consumption habits more energy efficient, something 86 per cent of respondents said they were motivated to do to save money.
Some of Walton tricks are pretty simple.
"If they do little things, like caulking around windows, homeowners, over the course of the year, can save 20 to 30 per cent," Walton says.
Walton is also a big proponent of getting an energy audit, something for which homeowners can get a portion rebated from the government.
"And, you'll recoup your outlay when you make the changes suggested," he says. There are further rebates for some of the work that will be suggested. He says you should consider getting an energy-efficient air conditioning unit -- more rebates available -- as well as having your central air conditioner checked.
"Equally important, from a maintenance perspective, are the little things like keeping curtains and toys from blocking the registers and using blinds to keep the heat out," he says.
Direct Energy also advocates ceiling fans, which are a good way of keeping a particular room cool, and programmable thermostats. With the latter, you can program your unit to be off when everyone's at school and work, and have it come on as you're driving home.
Walton also suggests turning the air conditioning off, or temperature up, at night. Even a five-degree difference can save 10 per cent on the energy bill.
For more information visit www.directenergy.com.
-- Canwest News Service
