Home Energy Assessment
CONTENTS:
Understanding Home Energy Assessments
Why Get a Home Energy AssessmentThis step focuses on the Pre-retrofit evaluation. The first stage of the two-stage EnerGuide process provides you with a clear baseline before you invest in upgrades.
This baseline is what makes the rest of the retrofit journey possible by documenting your home’s starting point, producing the reports you need to plan upgrades, and, in many cases, is required before you can access rebate and financing programs.
A post-retrofit evaluation builds on the foundation by documenting your home’s updated performance after eligible work is complete. Some rebate programs require both, while others may or may not require the pre-retrofit only.
The benefits outlined in this section reflect what a pre-retrofit evaluation can help you understand about your home’s energy use and comfort issues, from planning upgrades to accessing available programs.
Financial, Comfort, Home Value, and Environmental Benefits
It Gives You a Clear Baseline and Personalized Roadmap
Pro Tip!
Invest in the plan before you invest in the retrofit. Your home is a major asset, and careful planning helps you make informed decisions and reduce the risk of purchasing upgrades that don’t integrate well.
It Identifies Opportunities for Improvement
Pro Tip!
Tell your Energy Advisor about any comfort or building concerns you've noticed — drafts, cold rooms, condensation, musty smells, ice dams, water staining, or cracks.
The more context they have, the better they can explain what they're seeing and what it may mean for your next steps.
It Can Help Right-Size Mechanical Systems
Pro Tip!
If you can, make equipment labels accessible before your evaluation — furnace or boiler, water heater, and HRV or ERV — and be ready to share anything you know about recent upgrades or comfort issues such as cold rooms, condensation, or humidity swings. That context helps the advisor interpret what they're seeing and produce more useful modelling.
The goal of the pre-retrofit evaluation is documentation and modelling — not diagnosing or tuning equipment like an HVAC service call. The advisor gathers consistent information so the energy model can estimate energy use under standard conditions and generate your rating and reports.
It May Be Required for Rebates and Financing Programs
Pro Tip!
Always confirm the current requirements on the official program pages before booking your home energy assessment or starting work, since eligibility, timelines and documentation requirements can change, and in some cases.
