Affordable home comfort in the District of Lunenburg

Situated on the South Shore overlooking the ocean, Carl Hirtle wanted to make his home more energy efficient. He figured his basement needed insulation to deal with the draftiness, and he wanted heat pumps to support his wood stove.

Through Clean Energy Financing’s low interest rate Carl was able to get blown-in insulation for the basement and three heat pumps to keep both levels of his home comfy. The effects were almost immediate.

“It’s amazing,” Carl says. “Right away after the basement was insulated we came down and couldn’t feel a draft anywhere.”

Carl also noticed he’s only filling the wood stove once a day instead of twice because the basement is now holding its temperature so well, even overnight. He estimates his firewood use will drop from six cords to two over this winter thanks to his airtight basement.

According to Carl, one of the best features of the Clean Energy Financing program was the support homeowners get throughout the whole process—from the initial Home Energy Assessment to the follow-up audit. When asked if he would recommend the program to other homeowners, he said, “Absolutely!”

“I like that you get a schedule for how long it will take to recoup your investment,” he added. “For younger people, the program is a good investment, and for us it means we can afford to live comfortably.”