Heating and Cooling Systems
In terms of heating and cooling, during the 1960s-1970s, there was a shift in the ways Canadian households used to cool and heat their homes due to the energy crisis and new technological developments. The energy crisis in Canada in the 1970s led more Canadian households to purchase energy-efficient heating solutions. The different home heating methods included oil heating, natural gas heating, electric heating, and solid fuels. Oil heating was the most common and popular heating fuel, nearly 60% of homes by 1965 were heated by oil (Snider, 2006). However due to the oil shocks of the 1970s, leading to the government policy favouring electricity and natural gas it resulted in the decline of oil as a heating fuel.
While natural gas heating transpired from constructing the Trans-Canada natural gas pipeline, “26% of Canadian homes utilized natural gas for heating by 1965” (Snider, 2006). While electric heating was unpopular and rare with only 1% of households utilizing it by 1965 (Snider, 2006). Solid fuels by applying coal and wood to heat households decreased and dropped to only 10% of household use by 1965 (Snider, 2006).
In comparison, home cooling methods were less popular and developed in Canadian households during the 1960s and 70s. Canadian households relied on opening windows and air leakage for ventilation. Most likely due to the lack of cooling methods, electric fans and portable fans like the 5180 ORLI Fan/Heater would be useful for the hot summer days.
