If you enjoy exercising your consumer power by choosing green options whenever you can, but you still want a comfy home where you don’t need to wear a heavy wool sweater all day, an electric furnace is for you. Many regions in Canada produce electricity from renewable sources, which allows you to have some peace of mind while you stay warm.
Other advantages of electric furnaces:
- They don’t emit hazardous or polluting particles and don’t put any soot in the air.
- They don’t need an exhaust system.
- They don’t require annual maintenance.
- They are not noisy and are reliable.
The comfort furnace
Your focus is on creating a warm hearth and home, and you want to have a furnace that warms things up fast when you rise in the morning and when you get home from work at the end of the day. A natural gas furnace is for you. It can warm the ambient temperature up to two times faster than an electric furnace.
Other advantages of natural gas furnaces:
- They don’t produce soot, dust, smoke or ash.
- They continue to heat your home in the event of a power failure.
- They are extremely safe and effective.
- They use the cleanest fossil fuel available.
The savvy citizen furnace
You rate durability first and foremost in your energy use priorities, and any environmental benefits are a nice bonus. A propane gas furnace will meet your needs. It is hardier than most electric furnaces, and as with a natural gas furnace, it warms up a house very quickly. Propane is readily accessible and is a clean burning fuel. It will continue to operate during a power failure.
The “we’ll work with what we’ve got” furnace
For you, the environment is important, but you can really only afford an oil furnace right now. You have heated with oil before, and you are familiar with the routine. An oil furnace heats up your home quickly and evenly. The good news is that today’s oil furnaces are now more compact, quieter and better adapted for contemporary homes. You can even get rid of the old vent chimney and have the exhaust evacuated through a wall unit instead.
Some tips before buying
It is great to be well informed about all the types of furnaces and their benefits, but it is equally important to assess some other factors before you make a final decision.
- Request bids from several contractors and get references for their work.
- Talk to people who own a furnace like the one you want and take into account their comments.
- Do an energy efficiency checkup on your home; repair door and window seals and fix any insulation problems.
- Look into the various grant programs and incentives offered by the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency.
