K-Country Homes

10/02/2026

This is a service I have never seen before. If you want to do some development on a property you own, you can get a feasibility study done for free. Big developers have their own in-house expertise for this, but this has never been readily available to non-professional property owners.

Curious about adding a laneway home, accessory dwelling unit, or more to your property? Navigating zoning rules, permitting, development costs, and financing can feel overwhelming. You don’t need to figure it all out alone or risk your savings to discover what’s possible.

05/14/2026

Net Zero Homes, whether new or renovated, produce as much clean energy as they consume. They are far more energy efficient than typical new homes and greatly reduce your impact on the environment.

Every part of the house works together to provide consistent temperatures throughout, prevent drafts, and filter indoor air to reduce dust and allergens. The result: exceptional energy performance and the ultimate in comfort – a home at the forefront of sustainability. It all adds up to a better living experience.

What is a Net Zero Home? Net Zero Homes, whether new or renovated, produce as much clean energy as they consume. They are far more energy efficient than typical new homes and greatly reduce your impact on the environment. Every part of the house works together to provide consistent temperatures thro...

05/03/2026

With gas prices hitting $2/l in the East Kootenays today, people are being negatively impacted by it. Here are some ways to help alleviate it:

Operating a gas car by increasing gas mileage: careful acceleration, stick to speed limits, keep car well maintained, have proper tire pressure, take the shortest routes, don't idle.

Transit: BC Transit is cheap and Cranbrook is well served (other areas in the EK are not unfortunately).

Cycling: good for short, light trips. E-bikes make biking easy for any age.

Scooters: the scooter program in Cranbrook is apparently being well used. Bird recently offered free demos at Western Financial Place.

EVs: prices continue to inch down closer to gas cars. With the Federal rebate, the difference is now as low as $5,000 for some models. Gas savings, especially using cheap night electricity rates, are huge.

With $2/l of gas, the added cost of $5000 for an EV would be paid back in gas savings in 15-16 months, using night charging rates for a vehicle driving 20,000km/yr.

There is always the good old walking. This works well for people living close to commercial businesses. We tend to live in urban sprawl in our region, which reduces walking as a viable alternative.

04/30/2026

One in five Canadians (21%) say that recent events—specifically, the return of the federal EV rebate and the war in Iran driving up gas prices—have made them more inclined to get an electric vehicle than previously. That’s according to new Abacus Data polling commissioned by Clean Energy Energ...

04/29/2026

Small changes in the kitchen can make big changes to your use of energy!

🟢Use the microwave to reheat food: it’s the most energy-efficient.

🟢Buy an ENERGY STAR® certified dishwasher: use 12% less energy

🟢Scrape the dishes, don’t rinse: let the dishwasher do the rest.

🟢Assess each load: use the setting with the best cleaning function in the shortest amount of time.

🟢Install an ENERGY STAR certified range hood to use up to 70% less energy than a standard one.

🟢Shop for an ENERGY STAR certified fridge: use 9 % less energy.

🟢Allow air to flow: don’t overfill your fridge.

🟢Keep the fridge away from heat sources (vent, oven, sunlight, etc.).

🟢For kitchen faucets, install an aerator whose flow rate is less than 7.0 L/min.

https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/home-energy-efficiency/make-small-changes-add🟢

04/25/2026

Habitat for Humanity Southeast BC is proud to host our upcoming Cranbrook Open House, where you can learn more about our affordable homeownership program and our new duplex build. This is a great chance to ask questions, explore eligibility, and better understand how to apply.

We’re grateful to be partnering with the City of Cranbrook and Columbia Basin Trust, along with many other valued community supporters, to make projects like this possible.

📅 Thursday, May 21, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Cranbrook Public Library

We look forward to seeing you there and sharing how we’re building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter in our community.

04/24/2026

Is your home heated by oil?
You may be eligible to receive an upfront payment of up to $10,000 to switch from oil heating to new, energy-efficient heat pumps!

https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/home-energy-efficiency/canada-greener-homes-initiative/oil-heat-pump-affordability-program

04/23/2026

It’s Earth Week, and there are lots of ways to make a difference in the RDEK by keeping products out of the landfill.
You may be surprised by what can be recycled, from chain saws to smoke detectors, and from sandwich bags to Styrofoam. With a variety of recycling and diversion programs available, there are more options than ever to keep waste out of the ground.
In fact, more than 40% of the material ending up in our landfills could be recycled. Before you toss it, check engage.rdek.bc.ca/recycle to see if it can be recycled instead.

04/18/2026

🔌🇬🇧💰 "Another barrier to EV adoption just fell."

According to Autotrader, the average advertised retail price for new EVs is now £42,620 compared with £43,405 for a gas equivalent, marking a true milestone.

"They’ve long been cheaper to run, and now they’re cheaper to buy too. Add in growing competition and more choice, and it’s clear the direction of travel: electric is the obvious option for drivers," says Octopus Electric VehicleCEO Gurjeet Grewal.

Full story in the Independent.

04/16/2026

Did you know you can get a 25% rebate on your mortgage insurance premium when you own a net zero home?

https://www.chba.ca/net-zero/