There are certain things that get you excited about a home when you are looking to purchase one. For us, it was the old wood trim in the main floor rooms, and the leaded glass windows that sealed the deal. We knew within seconds of stepping into our current home that no matter what, it was going to be ours.
Our first few seasons in the house were wonderful. The doors were open to let the warm summer air flow through, and we had amazing water views out of those single pained windows, but as soon as the weather started to turn, so did we.
Our crafty decade old house wasn’t “winter ready”. We very quickly realized we needed to teach this old house some new tricks.
Our first step was to incorporate some smart technology into our old house, not just to keep us safe and warm, but also to keep the bills down below heart attack level. Our most cost efficient source of heat is 3 wood burning fireplaces, but we can only safely have these running while we are home, so we needed a back up method and fast!
Enter the NEST thermostat. We are able to have the NEST run off our back up heating system and automatically adjust the temperature to adapt to the low and high heat points of our wood burning system. It can balance out the nighttime so we don’t freeze while we are getting the coffee going in the morning as well.
Keeping a balanced heat “base” in the winter is one of the biggest cost savings you can find, since most of our utility bill comes from heating and cooling, vs maintaining a temperature. With the nest running back up, the wood fires are just used to build the temperature and, of course, create that century old ambience we were looking for.
It also runs the home while we are away, maintaining a balanced temperature just in case we drop into a freeze. Indoor pipes can not only freeze and need to be repaired, but as they thaw they burst and cause massive water damage.
Of course we also did the “simple” hacks to help improve our heat efficiency, including weather stripping and adding curtains to our single pained windows.
Smart technology has a place in every home, even one that is older than our grandparents, and if we can teach and old house like mine to adapt to the times, I am confident we can teach yours as well.
If you want to learn a little more about the benefits available from other smart home devices – including peace-of-mind, protecting your assets, preventing accidents and saving you money – take a peek at the Allstate Canada GOOD HANDS® blog.
Purchasing a home may be done because you fell in love with it at first site, but don’t forget that any long term relationship takes work! Give your home, and your assets, the protection they need by providing what is best for them, all year long.
To help you keep the heat Allstate Canada has a NEST Thermostat for one lucky reader! All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me why YOU need a NEST thermostat for your home! One random winner will be drawn and contacted to claim their prize. Please note you must have a Canadian shipping address, excluding Quebec, and be over 19years of age to win. Contest closes April 30th.
This post was written as part of the Allstate Canada Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate Canada. All opinions are my own.