STEAM MILL VILLAGE, N.S. — It was an unbelievable Christmas surprise that warmed her heart – and home.
Mary McNutt of Steam Mill said she probably could have rented an apartment for the $800 to $900 per month she typically spent on home heating oil during the winter months.
However, she likes living where she does. McNutt didn’t want to leave her house, where she has lived for the past 50 years and which she suspects is close to a century-and-a-half old.
McNutt uses a walker to get around, as her mobility is impeded by severe arthritis and lymphedema. It hasn’t affected her attitude, though. She said there are people worse off than she is and you have to keep going.
“You have to learn to handle things,” McNutt said. “If you give up, you’re done.”
She said one of her VON care workers was always teasing her about getting her house insulated. He suggested Thermo Homes of Kentville.
She discussed with Thermo Homes representatives what she could afford to get done, as she didn’t qualify for a provincial grant for low income earners.
McNutt was shocked when they offered to insulate her home for just one cent. Pennies are no longer in circulation, but she found one to pay the bill.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’m not used to that,” McNutt said. “My daughter, I was talking to her, she’s in Texas. She said, ‘mom, I’m sitting here in tears.’”
McNutt went to stay with her son for a couple of days while the work was being done. The first thing she noticed when she came home was how warm the house felt. Instead of wearing two sweaters indoors, she now wears one.
McNutt said she wasn’t looking for any freebies when she contacted the company, but she’s incredibly grateful and said it was an exceptional thing for them to do. It means that she can save her money in case she one day needs a power wheelchair, for example, or has to pay for other home renovations.
“Particularly at this time of year, we don’t hear enough about the good things, we hear about the bad,” McNutt said. “More than the money, although that’s great too, it really is, it is the kindness.”
HAPPY TO HELP
Thermo Homes technical sales representative Dwayne Jones said they try to do a project similar to this every year, but he didn’t know at the time of his first site visit that McNutt would be the candidate. She had called them for a quote and asked about available rebates, but she didn’t qualify for provincial funding.
Thermo Homes arranged to have an energy evaluation done for her. The company that did the evaluation, Homesol Building Solutions, decided not to charge her.
“That was what sparked for me that maybe this is our case,” Jones said.
He presented the idea of picking up the tab for McNutt’s work to Thermo Homes and they ran with it. Jones said McNutt would notice a big difference now, as there was no insulation before.
In the basement, they did spray foaming. They put cellulose insulation in the walls and attic and did air sealing throughout the house.
Thermo Homes sales and operations manager Dave Brake said that, for them, it’s a small gesture that goes a long way. With the heating season upon us, people often find themselves in need. The cost of home heating isn’t cheap, and, when they can, the people at Thermo Homes are glad to help someone live more comfortably.
“We looked at what the quote was and what the energy assessment would be and thought we could make a real difference for her and do our part to help the community at this time of year,” Brake said.
Seeing how grateful McNutt is to receive the help, he said, “It definitely warms the heart. It warms the heart and the home.”
He smiles when he pictures McNutt sitting in her home at Christmas, enjoying the warmth and comfort, knowing that they played a role.
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