Robert's RetoKit Story
When Robert heard about the free RetroKit, he signed up and found simple upgrades that made his home even more efficient.
Robert has lived in his home for over 35 years. Built in 1979, the house has seen decades of winters and memories.
“It’s an oldie, but a goodie,” he said fondly.
Over the years, Robert, a retired Calgarian, has taken several steps to ensure his ageing home was energy efficient and remained comfortable. He’s insulated some hot water pipes, installed a heat pump, and even applied insulating film to larger windows to help keep out drafts.
“I’ve done pretty well everything to this house that I can without spending fifty grand.” Robert added that the windows — original to the house — were next on his list. While his proactive approach has helped keep the home efficient, he is always open to learning more.
When he first learned about the free RetroKit offered through the Home Upgrades Program, Robert didn’t hesitate.
“I looked into it and thought, ‘Oh, a kit— that sounds interesting. I’ll see what’s in the kit’,” he explained. “If somebody’s willing to send me free stuff, I don’t think that’s a scam.”
His experience with other City of Calgary-supported initiatives also made it easy to trust the program.
“I’ve taken advantage of some programs in the past from the City,” he said. Robert accessed the City’s Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) program that helped him buy and install a heat pump, which further improved the efficiency of his home. He has also participated in province-wide energy efficiency initiatives to get LED light bulbs.
The RetroKit process was simple: he applied, received an email confirming his eligibility, and a few weeks later, his kit arrived.
“The box was full of goodies and it was well-packed,” he recalled. Inside were practical, easy-to-install tools for saving energy and water, including LED bulbs, foam pipe insulation, window insulation film, a power bar, a shower timer, a leak detection tablet, and faucet aerators for both kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen faucet aerator quickly became a favourite.
“I was especially impressed with the kitchen faucet low flow sprayer. I have installed it and [am] enjoying using it,” he said. “The sprayer I had on there before was not nearly as nice looking. It was kind of plastic, and it functioned quite differently; you had to pull it to get it to change the spray, whereas this one you turn. I’ve never seen that before and it’s nice. It’s chrome-plated and everything. It’s a beautiful thing.”
He added, “I immediately took off my old one and put on the new one. And the new one’s been on there ever since.”
Other items proved useful too, like the LED light bulbs, which he swapped out for an old one. “I found one last old CFL bulb… and now that LED bulb is in there, so I no longer have any lower-efficiency bulbs.” The shower timer was another new gadget that caught his attention. “I’ve never seen a timer for the shower. [It] confirmed for me that my showers are of a reasonable length already.”
Robert sees the RetroKit as an excellent resource for any homeowner, whether they are just starting out learning about energy efficiency or already energy savvy.
“It’s an excellent start for households that haven’t done many energy efficiency upgrades previously. They don’t realize that they could cut [usage] by 10%, maybe 20% if they implemented all these things.”
He expressed his appreciation that the City of Calgary continues to invest in initiatives like the Home Upgrades Program to help support residents.
“It’s not the first time we’ve had programs like this in Calgary. I’ve managed to take advantage of all of them,” he said.
For Robert, the RetroKit has reaffirmed that small changes can make a big difference.
To receive a free RetroKit, visit homeupgradesprogram.ca/retrokits to learn about income requirements and apply online.
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