There is no doubt that home heating costs are a tremendous burden on the cost of living in today's economy.  One of the biggest expenditures for Canadians is the cost of heating water and their homes. Whether you rent a home or apartment, or own your own, home and water heating costs can account for up to 80% (60% for space heating, 20% or more for hot water) of our monthly and annual bills - sometimes even more in the winter months. This percentage will grow even higher as oil prices and traditional fuel sources continue to rise.

If your heating costs have you looking for an alternative, you may want to consider one of the most cost-effective and affordable solutions to higher heating costs - Solar Water Heating. With Solar Hot Water Systems, you can cut your home and water heating bills by as up to 60% from the very first month after installation.

A Solar Hot Water System is essentially a water heater that is designed to supplement your current water heater. The Solar Hot Water Collectors preheat your water through the power of the sun, which means that your current oil, electric, propane or natural gas heater is used far less while still providing the same level comfort and safety. As you less and less of these traditional heating fuels, your monthly and annual bills will begin to go down - saving you hundreds of dollars a year, and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the Solar Water Heater.

The best part is, a Solar Hot Water System can be purchased and installed for under $4,000 in many cases (less or roughly the same as a new traditional water heater), and through your energy savings, will completely pay for itself within 3 to 5 years. After the Solar Hot Water System has completely paid for itself, it will continue save you hundreds of dollars a year - and over the lifetime of the system, a Solar Hot Water Heater can pay for itself several times over through energy savings over the 20 to 25 year lifetime of your Solar Collectors.

For your home, Solar Hot Water can be used for a variety of applications - this versatility allows you to save money on almost every aspect of your heating bills. With a moderate sized Solar Water Heater, you can eliminate between 60 and 80% of your water heating bills for all of the following:

· Washing Laundry
· Washing Dishes
· Showers and Baths
· General Household Cleaning

And, the hot water can also be used as part of a Radiant Floor or baseboard heating system - which can be used to space heat your entire home at a much reduced cost.

Solar Hot Water Myths

Myth #1: Solar water heaters won’t work in Canada.

Consumers often ask if there is enough sunlight in Canada to support solar applications such as water heating. In fact, there is enough solar energy to deliver an average of 2500 kWh of energy per year.  This means that a solar water heater can provide enough solar energy to meet about one half of the water heating energy needs for a family of four.

Myth #2: Solar water heaters don’t work very well.  

Modern solar water heaters are well suited for the Canadian climate because they produce energy when the outside temperature is well below freezing. They also have mechanisms that protect them from freezing in the winter and from overheating on hot sunny days. Ault Energy systems use the existing water heater as a backup energy supply to ensure that there is always a supply of hot water.

Myth #3: I can’t afford a solar water heater.

Solar is more affordable than ever! The federal and Ontario governments provide a $1,000 total rebate for qualifying systems installed by qualified solar contractors. Plus, you do not pay Provincial Sales Tax on an installed system. This allows you to potentially save up to 1/3 of the cost of a system.

Myth #4: For the expense, I won’t save very much.

Solar water heating is one household investment that will pay for itself over time. Depending on the amount of hot water used, most households can save about $12 per person per month on their electric bill by switching from an electric water heater to a solar water heater. So after rebates and tax credits, payback can be less than three years for a family of four.

For more information on Solar Hot Water systems contact Ault Energy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 613.806.2278.