Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heather’s Door

Replacing our ratty old wooden front door is what you’d call a “small ticket item” – meaning the ecoEnergy Retrofit rebate for it is only $80 from the government.

Sigh… We call this “Heather’s door” because it is Heather’s dream to bring light into our coffin-like kitchen with virtually no light from the small, west-facing window. But, when you open the front door, which opens into the kitchen, sunlight pours into the kitchen, transforming it into a warm, inviting place.

Our official Home Energy Audit report says the following about the priority we should give to our windows and doors as part of our green retrofits.

Windows and Doors:

• Replace 9 windows with models that are ENERGY STAR qualified for climate zone B.
  Federal incentive: $360
• Replace 2 exterior doors with a model that is ENERGY STAR qualified for climate zone B.
  Federal incentive: $80
  Potential Rating Improvement: 1.2 points for ALL 9 windows and 2 doors

A mere drop in the bucket this is: $440 in incentives/rebates, and a measly 1.2 EnerGuide points…. when you consider the fact that more than $10,000 in rebates is available, and that we need to gain 21 EnerGuide points to qualify for those rebates!

On top of that, the energy auditor who visited our home told us that a new door won’t save a lot in energy bills during the course of a year, either.

But hey, what about quality of life? What if Heather’s door makes Heather a nicer person to live with?! That’s gotta be worth a lot of points in someone’s books.