A few days ago my office thermostat decided to call it quits. Besides the inconvenience of having to replace it, at least it provided me with something to write about in this edition of ‘The Buzz’. And I suppose I should be relieved that it decided to die during the fall. At least I have a few weeks before I’ll be using it full time. In the middle of winter I would have to make a frantic visit to the local hardware store before my office pipes froze.

Only a couple of days after the thermostat quit I received my natural gas bill. To my delight inside was a rebate coupon from my utility for $15 on the purchase of a programmable thermostat. This is just one example of the hundreds of rebates that are available to homeowners and businesses for new energy-efficient products and/or upgrades. These rebates can be up to several hundred dollars for some larger products like heating/cooling systems, appliances, and even automobiles.

If you are in the market for an energy-efficient product make sure you check out the websites of your local utility and government - it could save you money! Here are a few sites to get you started:

Environment Canada incentives and rebates database

DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy)

Energy Star Rebate Locator