Heat and hydro
Finding a house or apartment is your first step in setting up a new home. Once you have found a place to live, you will need to get basic services and furnish your home.
Whether you rent or buy, you will need to get heat and hydro (electricity) services for your home. In Canada, some homes are heated by gas, others by oil and others by electricity.
Often, there are one or two main companies that provide these services in an area. You can find them in the yellow pages of your telephone book. Try looking under Gas, Heating Companies, Oils/Fuel and Hydro-Electric Utilities.
Safety precautions
Homes and apartments in Canada should have at least one smoke detector.
If you are renting, ask your landlord about the smoke detectors in your building. Check the battery in your smoke detector regularly to ensure it is working.
You should also check the windows and doors of your new home to make sure the screens and locks are not broken. You may also wish to install a security system in your home.
Heating
Heating systems
The temperature in Canada can change quickly. Canadian homes are built for these changes; they have insulation, heating and sometimes air conditioning devices to control indoor temperatures. Heating devices include electric heaters, natural gas or oil-fuelled furnaces that blow warm air through vents or circulate hot water in pipes.
Make sure you have heat
Some types of heating systems can simply be turned on when it gets cold, but if your heating system uses oil, you will need to make arrangements with a service company to provide you with fuel. You may prefer a service company to start your heating system for you if you have a gas furnace. If your heating system is electric you can simply turn it on once you have set up hydroelectric service in your home.
Check in the yellow pages of your telephone book for service companies in your area. Look under Gas, Heating Companies, Oils/Fuel, and Hydroelectric Utilities.
Find out what it will cost
Whether you are renting or have bought an apartment or house, find out from the landlord or the previous owner the name of the company that has provided heat. Contact that company and ask what the average cost has been to heat your home.
The cost of heating your home varies across Canada, according to the size of the home, the type of fuel used, the energy efficiency of your heating system and your home, and the length and temperature of winter in your area.
Temperature control
Canadian homes have thermostats, which allow you to control the temperature in your home. The amount you or your landlord pays for heating will be partly determined by how warm you decide to keep your house.
You can reduce your heating or cooling costs in many ways:
- Lowering the thermostat when you are not home and when you are sleeping
- Keeping windows closed when the weather is cold
- Turning off furnaces during the warm months of May through September
- Putting weather stripping around doors and windows to keep out the cold air
Cold weather carries hazards
The cold temperatures in Canada can cause water pipes to freeze and break. To help prevent this, during the cold winter months the thermostat should never be set lower than 5 or 10°C, even if you are not home.
Keeping cool in summer
Some Canadian cities can reach temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in summer. Many Canadians keep cool by using air conditioners or electric fans in their homes. Some homes might have heat furnaces and air conditioners operated by the same thermostat. |
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