Nora's Story
After years of managing a cold, drafty home on a single income, a Calgary parent looks ahead to warmer winters.
*Names have been changed at the homeowner’s request to protect their privacy.
As Nora welcomed us into her well-loved 1978 townhouse, she explained that she has lived here for 11 years with her two daughters. Family photos and a cozy atmosphere make it clear that Nora’s home is well-cared for, but Calgary’s long, harsh winters are hard on the house and her single-income family budget.
Over the years, Nora has created her own system for keeping the home as comfortable as possible for her family.
“What I typically do is seal up the windows [with insulation film]. Then we use things like heated blankets. I bought the electric fireplace and that helps a lot. Then I got insulated curtains.”
In the upstairs bedrooms, comfort is even more of a challenge.
“My window in my bedroom is broken, so it doesn't seal and it leaks [in cold air],” she explained.
An assessment by Pat,the Home Upgrades Program’s construction manager, led to a new discovery.
“He came in and noticed the window doesn’t fit in that hole. They measured and installed the window wrong and it makes it really drafty in there,” Nora recalled.
The layout of the townhouse does not help, with her daughters’ bedrooms jutting out past the shared walls of the neighbouring rowhouses. “There’s not enough insulation in the walls, so those rooms get really cold, like freezing,” she said.
In addition to poor insulation and her ill-fitting window, Nora has been worried about her furnace since the day she moved in.
“When I moved in here, the home inspector said, ‘This furnace could go any day’ and that was 11 years ago! And so, once a week, I think, ‘Oh no, if I don't have enough money to pay the electricity bill, how do I have enough money to fix a furnace?’”
According to Nora, who works full-time as an Operations Manager, most of her income goes toward home repairs and upkeep. She estimates that 13% covers her utility bills alone. This is more than double the 6% threshold often used to identify households experiencing a high energy burden.
“I've worked full-time for the last 14 years, but I'm a single parent and even working full-time, 40 hours a week does not pay [for] everything. Because I'm single income, the only thing I can do is get another job, and I can't do that because somebody has to take care of my kids.”
Last year, Nora participated in a City of Calgary focus group for residents struggling to afford utility bills. “Six or eight months later, I got an e-mail from the program manager saying, ‘We’re implementing this Home Upgrades Program in Calgary, you should sign up’,” she recalled. That is how Nora first learned about the Home Upgrades Program.
Nora didn’t hesitate to apply for both the RetroKit and Home Upgrades streams.
“I did the RetroKit, [and] that came in the mail immediately, so that was good,” she said. “It did come with the window films and I use those every year, so that will come in handy because I have to rebuy them every year.”
Through the Home Upgrades stream, Nora’s home received attic insulation, a new high-efficiency furnace and tanklesshot water heater combo unit.
“That’s been a major stress, it’s nice that that’s not on my mind anymore,” she said, reflecting on the furnace replacement.
With two remaining upgrades soon to be installed — a replacement bedroom window and a front door — Nora is looking ahead to a home that will be more comfortable and easier to manage throughCalgary’s winters.
Nora’s experience is one many Calgarians can relate to — even full-time work does not always stretch far enough to keep an older home warm, safe, and maintained.
The Home Upgrades Program exists to helpfamilies close that gap, offering targeted support that strengthens the safety,comfort, and long-term affordability of their homes.
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