On Mutual Funds - a story: Part III

Then I scoured the internet again for grants for improving the environment.  I saw one that would pay up to $4k if I replaced my water heater, furnace and my air-con for efficient models.  Up to 96% efficiency. I lost my bulky gas-powered 24/7-heated water tank and in its stead had a *hot-water on demand* unit hooked up to the wall. It would heat water only when it's needed. They even sealed my chimney to minimize heat loss. I was advised to replace all lightbulbs and TVs, refrigerators, stoves to more efficient ones. A government-authoriz ed technician came to test heat and air loss through the portals and gave the reports to the gov't. (the gov't paid for this too, $150 worth for each before and after fix ($300 total), separate from the $4k offered, but they will re-imburse only when you go have the work done to improve the house).  Did you know that fat tube TVs (as opposed to LCD flatscreens) are like huge 1000-watt bulbs that even when it's
off, it eats up a lot of electricity?

  I took out the main floor stove, bought two efficient refrigerators and an efficient gas stove for the basement.  The air con is now industrial-sized (twice the size of the old one) but uses a quarter of the electricity of the puny old model (and it uses another type of refrigerant that is not harmful to the ozone). The furnace is more quiet yet it pumps more heat around the house with 96% efficiency. Total wattage of all light bulbs all over the house and garage is under 200 watts - they're all the 13-watt curly fluorescent bulbs.

With my approval, Ontario Hydro (the electric supplier) even went further to install an electricity regulator for my air conditioning unit to further save on electricity consumption.  It's good for the environment, they said. This $500 job would install a digital unit hooked up to the aircon to monitor and curtail its electrical usage without harm to the aircon unit (a 100% efficiency target ... with minimum electricity ). For my *troubles*, the installation job was free plus they gave me a $75 rebate on my hydro bill and a $25 discount for Canadian Tire store products and services.

Our roomer tenants (both Filipino girls) and us share the basement gas stove for cooking but they have their own fridge. I threw out the dryer and replaced it with a *sampayan* in the basement laundry room (total length back and forth around 100 feet) ... the extra space given up by the water tank heater gave us more area ... and *ordered* the tenants to do laundry once during weekend.  If they refused, there's always a laundromat in the immediate area and I'll lock the laundry room :-). With my neighbor's help, we, (mostly him :-), built a high pole tower, attached to the back of my garage (I have a detached garage at the back) and on top of the pole attached a big pulley with a heavy 400-foot (total to and back) nylon-covered metal clothesline string hooked to yet another big pulley attached to the back of the brick wall of the house. This is our summer *sampayan*.

 My gas for cooking and heating bills in the winter dipped from about $400/month to about $70-80.  My electricity bills from about $300 down to $70 every two months (2-month billing cycle). The summer gas bill is currently about $10 to $25/mo compared to a summer bill of $100-150 used up mainly by the water heater. The loan I took ($10K) to replace my furnace/aircon/ water heater set me back $150 per mo. (principal and interest) but the end result is massive savings on heating and electricity and better for the environment.  It's paying for itself and more.

For helping the environment, I received my $4k from the government in the mail ... (3 months later ... better late than never :-)

The real estate market has now picked up and I recently received a tax assessment and valuation for the house.  It gained $100k.

The house was also awarded an *energy wise approved* designation ... they sent a sticker by mail. (The sticker is now attached to the front vestibule's glass ... "Our home is EnWise approved", it says. :-)

Without the mutual fund debacle, my diminishing savings would probably be sitting in the mutual fund earning or losing $1k a year depending on market fluctuation.  The lesson learned here is it's better to invest in real estate (probably) and most especially if you have tenants to pay for part of the mortgage :-)

But I believe in all these things, Someone, somewhere up there, guided and helped me with everything that had happened (perhaps to teach me a lesson not to mess with MFs (the mutual fund variety :-) and to keep praying and thanking Him for the *biyaya*.