Ontario · area guide · 21 communities · checked October 8, 2026
Home energy audits, radon and well water testing in Wellington County
The seven towns and townships on this page are home to 97,286 people (2021 Census), and 25% of their houses were built before 1961. This guide covers 21 communities, from Fergus, Elora, Mount Forest and Erin to the smallest hamlets, with the local numbers that shape an energy audit or a home health test.
Population (2021)
97,286
Communities listed
21
Houses built before 1961
25%
Heating degree-days
4,307
Fergus Shand Dam
How Wellington County is built
- Before 1961 25%
- 1961–1990 36%
- 1991–2000 13%
- 2001 or later 25%
This page covers the seven towns and townships of the County of Wellington. Guelph is a separate city with its own pages.
Six local guides for Wellington County
Energy audits and heat pump sizing
Wellington County at a glance
People and homes
97,286 people and 37,541 private dwellings in 2021, up 7.0% in population since 2016.
Housing
Of the 31,695 houses in Wellington County (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and mobile homes), 25% were built before 1961 and 61% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. The typical house dates from 1981–1990.
Climate
Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1981–2010 climate normal at Fergus Shand Dam (13.2 km from the middle of the area) is 4,307 heating degree-days a year, with a January mean of −7.4°C. The building code's 2.5% January design temperatures for the area run from −19°C to −21°C.
Radon
In Health Canada’s 2012 survey, 10.9% of 92 homes tested in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit were above the guideline. The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports 13.5% (1 in 7) of houses at or above the guideline for the Guelph metro area.
Wells
Public Health Ontario tests well water for bacteria (E. coli and total coliforms). Pick up a bottle at a public health office or a participating municipal office. Samples go back to the Guelph (160 Chancellors Way), Fergus (490 Charles Allen Way) or Orangeville (180 Broadway) offices Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with short Friday-morning windows; to the Mel Lloyd Centre in Shelburne (Monday and Wednesday mornings); to reception at Palmerston District Hospital or Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest; or to the Township of Erin office in Hillsburgh (Monday mornings).
Energy advisors
NRCan's list (checked October 8, 2026) shows 24 service organizations registered for postal codes in Fergus. Confirm they travel to your community.
Heating
Province-wide, 58% of Ontario households heat mainly with natural gas, 18% with electricity, 4% with propane and 1% each with oil and wood (Statistics Canada, 2023); there's no published breakdown for this area alone.
Every community in Wellington County
Grouped by municipality, with 2021 Census populations. Names come from Natural Resources Canada's geographical names database and Statistics Canada's population centres.
- Township of Centre Wellington 31,093Belwood, Elora, Fergus
- Township of Guelph/Eramosa 13,904Ariss, Rockwood
- Township of Wellington North 12,431Arthur, Mount Forest
- Town of Erin 11,981Ballinafad, Hillsburgh
- Township of Mapleton 10,839Drayton
- Town of Minto 9,094Harriston, Palmerston
- Township of Puslinch 7,944Arkell, Morriston
Covered on city pages
- Guelph 143,740Guelph has its own pages.
Who does the work in Wellington County
- Energy evaluations and heat loss calculations: NRCan's list (checked October 8, 2026) shows 24 registered service organizations for postal codes in Fergus. See them with phone numbers; confirm they travel to your community.
- Radon: certified measurement and mitigation professionals are listed in the C-NRPP directory ↗.
- Wood stoves and chimneys: WETT-certified professionals are listed in the WETT directory ↗; see wood-burning inspections in Wellington County.
- Well water: free bacteria tests through the local public health unit; chemistry through a licensed private lab. Details for Wellington County.
Rebates and financing for Wellington County homes
Nearby city pages and guides
Sources
- Statistics Canada — 2021 Census population and dwelling counts (table 98-10-0002-01)
- Statistics Canada — 2021 Census, households by period of construction and dwelling type (table 98-10-0233-01)
- Statistics Canada — 2021 Census population centres (table 98-10-0011-01)
- NRCan — Canadian Geographical Names Database (official place names)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada — Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
- National Research Council — National Building Code of Canada 2020, Appendix C, Table C-2 (climatic design data)
- Health Canada — Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, final report (2012), Table 5
- NRCan — Service organizations for existing homes (list checked October 8, 2026)
- Land Information Ontario — municipal boundaries (lower and single tier)
- Evict Radon National Study with Health Canada — 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure (report v1.1)
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health — private well water testing
- Statistics Canada — Households and the Environment Survey 2023, primary heating systems (table 38-10-0286-01)
Planning upgrades in Wellington County?
Tell us where you are and what you’re planning. We’ll connect you with a registered service organization for your area — no spam, no shared lead lists.