Walking through any Peterborough neighbourhood, you’ll find homes that have undertaken an energy retrofit – though it takes some practice to know what you’re looking for (or you might not notice anything at all).
Some, like wall and attic insulation, or improved airtightness, might be completely invisible from the outside, but lead to greatly improved comfort and lower bills inside the home.
Photo credit: Gabe Rivett-Carnac/EnviroCentre
Attic insulation
Attic insulation is generally one of the easiest upgrades to tackle, and many homeowners have chosen to do this first– if you have a flat ceiling and an attic hatch, then it can be over and done within a day without too much disruption. If you’ve already done an attic insulation upgrade, but it happened years ago, it might be worth talking a look to see if it could use another top up. Today’s building code requires at least R50 in attics, which is 14” to 18” of blown-in insulation, depending on the type.
Heat pumps
Something you will spot more and more walking around town are heat pumps, usually located around the sides or backs of homes where you might normally see an air conditioner. You can learn to recognize the shape, which is typically square or rectangular, with a fan that blows out horizontally (though other models do exist). Over the last several years, heat pumps have been one of the most popular upgrades Peterborough homeowners have undertaken, and you’ll find one on almost any street in town.
Exterior insulation
You might notice a home that has new siding, and this could be a sign that the homeowner has opted for new exterior wall insulation. When replacing siding, there is a great opportunity to bring insulation levels up to current code levels, or beyond by adding a layer of foam board insulation underneath the new siding.
Home energy assessment
It’s possible on your walk you’ll encounter a door that is open, the doorway covered with a red tarp with a fan in it. It’s not an exterminator – it’s a blower door, and this means the homeowner is getting their home tested for airtightness. Airtightness improvements are also generally invisible, but can make the greatest difference for homeowners, by eliminating drafts, improving winter humidity levels and closing entryways for pests.
Photo credit: Gabe Rivett-Carnac/EnviroCentre
Solar panels
Finally, take a look at the roofline as you pass by, and you’ll be surprised at how many solar panels peer into view. They’re generally located on the south and east sides of the roof, so in some cases they may be on the backs of homes.
While you can get some clues from the exterior of a home, energy retrofits generally aren’t flashy – the proof of them comes in the comfort inside the home, and the low energy bills these homeowners enjoy!
Curious about what’s right for your home?
Every home is different, and the best retrofit plan depends on your home’s age, structure, and condition. A home energy assessment is a great first step—it identifies where your home is losing energy and offers personalized recommendations to improve it.
Reach out to our Energy Coach today to find out how the Better Homes Peterborough Loan Program can help you increase the comfort of your home.
Thinking about making your home more energy efficient, but not sure where to start? You’re not alone—and that’s where your Energy Coach comes in.
The Better Homes Peterborough program offers support every step of the way, and at the heart of that support is Clara Blakelock, our local Energy Coach. Clara is here to answer your questions, help you understand your retrofit options, and guide you through the process of accessing loans, incentives, and trusted advice—whether you’re just starting out or ready to take action.
Clara Blakelock (she/her) is the Home Energy Program Manager with GreenUP. She’s a Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) Registered Energy Advisor for homes, and she has completed energy audits on over 250 homes in the Peterborough region. She’s also a Certified Energy Auditor in training for commercial buildings. Before joining GreenUP in 2021, Clara worked with Green Communities Canada, leading national projects on green infrastructure and climate resilience.
With a Master’s degree in Engineering and Public Policy and an Advanced Certificate in Sustainable Energy Management, Clara brings deep knowledge and a passion for practical climate action. When she’s not advising on home upgrades, she’s likely sewing, cycling, swinging kettlebells, or chasing her young kids around Peterborough.
What is an Energy Coach?
An Energy Coach is your personal guide through the home retrofit process. Clara is here to help you:
Understand your home’s energy performance
Learn about upgrade options like insulation, heat pumps, and air sealing
Navigate available rebate and incentive programs
Prepare for your home energy assessment
She’s here to make the process easier and clearer, so you can take the next step with confidence.
Five Questions with Your Energy Coach, Clara Blakelock
What’s the most common question you get from homeowners considering a retrofit?
I very often hear from people who have heard about an incentive program that is being promoted, and they’re looking for trusted advice about what is available and how it might apply to their home. These programs can get complicated quickly, especially when there are multiple offerings that can be stacked together. Rather than interacting with a call centre, a lot of homeowners choose to call me to help them figure out their best options. As part of my job, I learn the details of all the different rebate and loan programs, and because I work for a trusted organization in the community, people know that they can expect accurate, unbiased advice by calling me.
Where should people start if they’ve never done anything like this before?
There is a lot to consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your home. What is most important? What should be done first? How will some upgrades impact others? How much is it going to cost, and how much is it going to save?
A home energy assessment by a registered energy advisor will teach you a lot about your home, how it is using energy now, where it is losing heat, and what upgrades are a priority, so this is a great place to start. The blower door test in particular can be particularly revealing, showing you where air is leaking from your home.
If you’re not ready to invest in a home energy assessment just yet, you can start by getting yourself educated. Keeping the Heat In is an excellent, accessible resource from Natural Resources Canada that can help you understand the basics of building science, energy efficiency, and the “house-as-a system” approach to upgrades. It really helps to have a knowledge base before you start engaging with contractors.
You’re also welcome to schedule a conversation with me, where we can discuss the current state of your home and what some of the options for upgrades might be. Once you get your energy assessment done, we can get further into the details.
What do you wish more people knew about energy efficiency upgrades?
I think a lot of people don’t realize just how much energy is wasted in most of the buildings we’re using today. Whether it’s drafty houses, lack of insulation, or inefficient furnaces and water heaters, so much of what people are paying in energy bills is actually going right outside and not towards improving their standard of living.
Improving the energy efficiency of your home isn’t just about lowering your bills. It’s also about making your home more functional – it can mean that areas of your home that you couldn’t use before because they were too hot or too cold are now comfortable living spaces.
I also want people to know how achievable it is to significantly reduce their home’s greenhouse gas emissions. In Peterborough, we have seen hundreds of homes reducing their emissions by 30% or more.
What types of upgrades do you see most often in Peterborough homes?
The number one upgrade we see in Peterborough homes are air source heat pumps. Heat pumps are highly efficient heating and cooling systems that are powered with electricity. When homeowners are replacing a furnace or air conditioner, a heat pump is a great option. Homeowners who have installed heat pumps are usually very impressed with how quiet they are, as well as how comfortable and even both the heating and cooling are.
We also see lots of homeowners upgrading their insulation, whether in the attic, basement or walls, with great results.
In terms of the best value for money, nothing beats improving the air tightness of homes. Using the results of the blower door test from their energy audit as a starting point, I’ve seen homeowners who take air sealing seriously reduce their rate of air leakage by 20% or more, often using a do-it-yourself approach. This improves the performance of all the other upgrades they might be doing in their home, as well as the home’s comfort by eliminating drafts.
What’s your favourite part of helping people on their retrofit journey?
I think it’s getting the chance to be a trusted resource in the middle of what – between disruption to the home, dealing with multiple contractors, and navigating loan and rebate programs – can often be an overwhelming and complex process. I get to give my clients an extra sense of security by being an impartial source for them to run ideas by and ask for advice, whether it’s about different approaches to insulation, or what qualifies for which rebate or loan program. I appreciate getting to work with members of my own community to tackle this important challenge of retrofitting their homes.
And, of course, it’s great when my clients complete their retrofits and are happy with the results –whether that’s lower bills, a more comfortable home, or lower greenhouse gas emissions.
To reach out to Clara Blakelock or the Better Homes Peterborough team, email betterhomesptbo@envirocentre.ca or call 1-888-284-9417 (toll-free).
Peterborough has experienced its share of weather-related disasters — from the ice storm this spring to the derecho in 2022, and the major floods of 2002 and 2004. Most of us have been touched in one way or another by extreme weather.
While no single weather event can be directly linked to climate change, the pattern and the science is clear: as climate change progresses, these events will become more frequent and more damaging. To address climate change, we need to better prepare for these extremes while tackling the root cause: the burning of fossil fuels.
Earlier this year, the City of Peterborough approved a climate change action plan that outlines how the city will reach net-zero emissions by 2050. A major part of that plan involves cutting greenhouse gas emissions from homes.
Most of us still heat our homes using fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil or propane. On top of that, a large portion of the energy we use is wasted due to poor insulation and air leakage.
Homes are a big part of the problem, and of the solution
Making our homes more energy-efficient and transitioning away from fossil fuels will take a collective effort. Programs like Better Homes Peterborough are part of that shift. The program offers low-interest loans, helps navigate available incentives, and provides expert advice so homeowners can complete deep retrofits that deliver real energy and emissions savings.
A deep energy retrofit often begins with the building envelope — the walls, ceiling, foundation, windows and doors that separate the indoors from the outdoors. Adding insulation, improving airtightness and replacing old windows and doors helps ensure the energy used to heat or cool a home isn’t wasted.
Once a home is properly sealed and insulated, the next step is to upgrade heating, cooling and hot water systems. Switching to electric systems that use heat pump technology is one of the most efficient and climate-friendly options available.
Finally, when energy use has been reduced as much as possible, solar power can help offset what’s left. With the right upgrades, some homes may even reach net-zero — producing as much energy as they use.
It may sound daunting, but hundreds of Peterborough homeowners have already completed energy retrofits and are now seeing the benefits.
Book a free consultation with the Better Homes Peterborough energy coach to get personalized advice and start tackling climate change at home.
Your first step toward a more comfortable, efficient, and climate-ready home.
If you’re considering investing in energy upgrades for your home, like air sealing, insulation, or installing a heat pump, your journey should begin with a Home Energy Assessment (also called an energy audit). It’s the single most important step to help you understand how your home uses energy and where improvements can make the biggest impact. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Start with an Energy Assessment?
An energy assessment is more than just a checklist. It’s a comprehensive, expert-led evaluation of your home’s energy performance. Conducted by a registered energy advisor, the audit gives you a clear picture of how energy flows through your home—where it’s being used efficiently, and where it’s being lost through things like drafts, poor insulation, or outdated heating and cooling systems.
A tool to help you make informed decisions about upgrades that will truly make a difference in your home
What happens during the assessment?
During your in-home visit, a registered energy advisor will carry out a top-to-bottom inspection of your property. This includes:
Checking insulation levels in your attic, basement, and walls
Assessing windows and doors for drafts and heat loss
Evaluating your heating, cooling, and ventilation systems
Performing a blower door test to find hidden air leaks
What’s a blower door test?
This test temporarily depressurizes your home using a high-powered fan placed in an exterior doorway.
It helps pinpoint exactly where air is leaking in or out—no matter how small the gap. It’s one of the most effective ways to identify weaknesses in your home’s building envelope.
What will you receive after the audit?
Once your assessment is complete, you’ll receive a set of official documents to guide your next steps:
EnerGuide rating label: A standardized rating that shows how energy-efficient your home is, compared to a typical new home in Canada. It includes a breakdown of how much energy your heating, cooling, and other systems use.
Homeowner information sheet: A detailed explanation of how your EnerGuide rating was calculated, and a summary of your home’s energy performance.
Renovation upgrade report: This is your personalized roadmap. It outlines recommended upgrades, potential energy and emissions reductions, and helpful tips to improve your comfort and efficiency. It also flags any health and safety considerations that should be addressed.
How to prepare for your assessment
Before booking your Home Energy Assessment, make sure:
All areas are accessible (including attic hatches, crawlspaces, and utility rooms)
Windows and doors are closed and sealed
Wood burning fireplaces are free of ash and have dampers closed (in preparation for the blower door test).
You have your property tax bill and roll number on hand
Ensure that there are no renovations in progress, or large holes in the building envelope that impact the air tightness of your home
The assessment typically takes about 2 to 4 hours, and the legal homeowner must be present during the visit.
How much does it cost?
Initial Energy Audit: $500–$700
Follow-up Audit (after upgrades): $300
If you qualify for programs like Home Renovation Savings (HRS) Program or Save on Energy, these costs may be partially or fully reimbursed. Read our summary of the incentive and rebate programs that could be available to you for more information.
Important: To qualify for most rebates or incentives, you must complete the energy assessment before starting any upgrades. Starting renovations early can disqualify your project from financial support, so don’t skip this step!
Whether you’re looking to reduce drafts, improve your home’s comfort, or take meaningful action on climate change, a Home Energy Assessment is where it all begins.
Still have questions? Reach out to us today to see how Better Homes Peterborough can help you in your home energy upgrade journey!
We’re excited to announce the launch of Better Homes Peterborough, a brand-new retrofit financing program designed to help local residents lower their energy bills, improve home comfort, and take action on climate change.
This four-year program offers low-interest financing, targeted incentives, and personalized support to make energy-efficient upgrades easier and more accessible for homeowners across the City of Peterborough.
Whether you’re looking to install a heat pump, upgrade your insulation, replace drafty windows, or even add solar panels or an EV charger, Better Homes Peterborough is here to help you make it happen—with expert guidance every step of the way.
“Retrofitting your home is not just an investment in your house, but an investment in the collective future of our residents and our city,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “By taking individual steps to reduce our emissions we can help the City hit its target of net-zero by 2050. Better Homes Peterborough is a key part of that effort.”
Who is eligible?
The program is open to property owners in the City of Peterborough who own:
Detached or semi-detached homes
Townhouses
Small multi-unit buildings (up to three storeys)
Homeowners can finance a wide range of upgrades, including:
Insulation, air sealing, and high-performance windows and doors
Heat pumps and high-efficiency electric water heaters
Solar panels, battery storage, and EV chargers
Electrical upgrades and high-efficiency lighting
You can even allocate up to 30% of your loan toward cosmetic or non-energy-related renovations—so the upgrades you need can come with the updates you want.
Two flexible financing options
Better Homes Peterborough offers two loan options to meet different homeowner needs:
A Local Improvement Charge (LIC) Loan through the City of Peterborough
A personal loan through Kawartha Credit Union
“We are proud to partner with the City of Peterborough on Better Homes Peterborough,” said Norah McCarthy, President & CEO of Kawartha Credit Union. “This program reflects our commitment to sustainability and to empowering homeowners in our communities to embrace a greener future for all.”
A strong partnership
The program is delivered by the City of Peterborough, in partnership with EnviroCentre, Kawartha Credit Union, and Peterborough GreenUP, bringing together deep expertise in energy efficiency, financing, and community support.
“Programs like Better Homes Peterborough show what’s possible when municipalities, financial institutions, and delivery partners work together to remove barriers to deep energy retrofits,” said Melanie Johnston, Director of Energy Programs at EnviroCentre.
“The coaching that this program provides is critical to helping homeowners make their homes more comfortable and efficient,” added Tegan Moss, Executive Director of GreenUP. “We’re proud to support a program that will reduce emissions and improve quality of life in our region.”
Ready to learn more?
Explore the website or call us toll-free at 1-888-284-9417 to learn more. You can also book a free consultation with our Energy Coach, Clara Blakelock, for expert advice on where to start and how to get the most out of your retrofit journey.
