SaskEnergy is offering furnace inspections free of charge across the province (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Home Maintenance

Free furnace inspections offered for low income homeowners

Jun 24, 2019 | 4:21 PM

While the weather has warmed up, SaskEnergy doesn’t want people to forget about furnace maintenance.

Last week, the Crown-owned utility announced applications are open for the Tune Up Assistance Program. The initiative provides free furnace inspections and tune ups to homeowners with an income of $68,000 or less. People interested in participating also need to live in a city or town which has a SaskEnergy network member or are within 20 kilometers.

In the northeast, residents in Prince Albert, North Battleford and Nipawin are eligible.

Samantha Gross, customer solutions leader with SaskEnergy, said many people are not aware about the importance of regular furnace work, such as cleaning or replacing the filter every one to two months.

“The program brings awareness to that and targets low income families and helps them with a furnace tune up,” she said.

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Homeowners who qualify for the inspection will have their furnace’s heating exchanges checked along with the blower compartment and the fan and motor.

Along with the inspection, people who take part in the tune up will get two free furnace filters as well as a carbon monoxide and natural gas detector. According to Gross, the whole service is valued around $250. If furnaces are found to need work, homeowners can apply for funding to help with repairs. There are also financing options available for those needing replacement.

“It’s just like a vehicle. You should be getting it checked and tuned up every single year,” Gross said.

SaskEnergy has offered the tune up program since 2017. Gross said since it started they have seen more interest develop. In 2018, 275 inspections were done as part of the initiative and this year Gross said they are hoping to do as many as 400. People interested in taking part can apply online or visit a SaskEnergy network member, where they can get the paperwork. The inspections are set to be carried out later in the summer and going into the fall months.

The program is getting support from one local housing advocate. Brian Howell, general manager of Riverbank Development Corporation, thinks the initiative is doing important work.

“The program is an excellent idea; there’s lots of lower income families who own their homes in Prince Albert and have older furnaces that are in need of monitoring and tune ups,” he said.

Howell said going into the future what would really help lower income homeowners would be providing them assistance to replace older furnaces, which would help people financially along with the environment.

“By putting in an energy efficient furnace it would reduce natural gas consumption by as much as 40 per cent,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn