EnerGuide ratings: what the number means and how to get one

How the rating works

An energy advisor measures your home and enters the data into HOT2000, NRCan's energy simulation software, which calculates the rating (NRCan ↗). One gigajoule is roughly the energy to run a typical fridge for 30 weeks.

• Net energy in GJ per year. The scale runs toward zero; a home rated 0 GJ produces as much energy as it consumes (NRCan ↗).
• Reference house. Each rated home gets its own reference: the same house as if built to typical new-construction standards, so you can see how far yours is from a new home (NRCan ↗).
• Standard operating conditions. The software assumes standard thermostat settings, hot water use and number of occupants, so the rating applies to the house, not your household. NRCan says your bills shouldn't be expected to match it, and large extra loads such as a pool or hot tub are listed separately as “atypical energy loads”.
• Old 0–100 scale. NRCan retired the 0–100 scale at the end of 2018; since January 1, 2019, all new evaluations use GJ per year, and old ratings can't be converted.

Reading the label and reports

After the visit you receive three documents (NRCan ↗):

1. EnerGuide label: your rating as a number and on the GJ scale, energy use by source, how you compare with your reference house, the share going to heating, cooling, ventilation and other uses, and your greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Homeowner Information Sheet: how the rating was calculated, a breakdown of your rated energy use, and the details of your building envelope and mechanical equipment as the advisor recorded them. Check these against your house.
3. Renovation Upgrade Report: recommended upgrades with estimated savings, before-and-after charts of heat loss by building component, your rating before and after the upgrades, the advisor's comments and energy-saving tips.

Expect the reports about two weeks after the visit in Quebec's Rénoclimat program (Québec ↗) and two to three weeks after through Efficiency Manitoba (Efficiency Manitoba ↗).

Who can do an evaluation, and what happens on the day

EnerGuide evaluations are booked through service organizations licensed by NRCan, which send an energy advisor registered with NRCan (NRCan ↗). Advisors must pass NRCan's foundation and energy advisor exams, and every licensed organization must employ a quality assurance specialist. Organizations are independent businesses, not agents of NRCan, and NRCan doesn't endorse any of them; it is not accepting applications from new organizations at present (NRCan ↗). Quebec's 2026 Rénoclimat guide says the EnerGuide Rating System, designed by NRCan, is now administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada (Québec ↗). We could not confirm this change on a federal page, and NRCan's own pages still describe NRCan licensing and registration.

On the day, you sign a consent form (the Notice to Homeowner). The advisor usually starts outside, photographs the exterior, mechanical systems, attic and any wood-burning appliances, and runs a blower door test to measure airtightness; fuel-fired heating and water heating are turned down during the test. The home must be able to hold 22°C, with windows, doors and the building envelope intact. Remove ashes from any wood stove beforehand and have your property tax roll number ready (NRCan ↗). Licensed organizations don't sell door to door or through unsolicited calls or emails.

Pre- and post-retrofit evaluations, and how long a rating stays useful

A pre-retrofit evaluation sets your baseline and gives you the upgrade plan; a post-retrofit evaluation after the work produces a new rating that shows the improvement and, in most rebate programs, unlocks payment. Programs generally require the first evaluation before any work starts, and set their own deadlines: Ontario's Home Renovation Savings needs the follow-up within 180 days of the first visit or by December 31, 2026, whichever comes first (program terms ↗), and New Brunswick's Total Home Energy Savings allows 9 months for the work (NB Power ↗).

NRCan's public pages don't give an expiry date for a rating. A rating describes the house on the day it was measured, so renovations or new equipment since then put it out of date, and each program decides which evaluations it accepts. NRCan says the recommendations on an old 0–100 report remain valid, but a current GJ rating needs a new evaluation (NRCan ↗).

Evaluation types compared

Rénoclimat changed its rules on October 1, 2026, and some of its evaluation pages may still describe the earlier rules, so confirm Rénoclimat costs with the program.

What it costs and what programs pay back

NRCan says pre- and post-retrofit evaluations together cost between $600 and $1,000 on average, varying by provider and province, and are typically paid after the service (NRCan ↗). Several programs cut that cost (as of October 2026):

• Ontario, Home Renovation Savings: $600 back toward both assessments after two or more qualifying upgrades (program ↗).
• Manitoba, Efficiency Manitoba: a $400 rebate for a pre-retrofit evaluation, if you apply within 90 days.
• New Brunswick, Total Home Energy Savings: $99 plus HST covers the initial and final evaluations (NB Power ↗).
• Quebec, Rénoclimat: since October 1, 2026, up to $500 toward an evaluation when you also claim at least one eligible upgrade (Québec ↗); under the earlier rules, $150 plus tax for the first evaluation, refunded except the tax when aid is paid (Québec ↗).

See energy audit costs, or find an advisor near you.

Mistakes to avoid and next steps

• Booking with a company that isn't licensed: check NRCan's list of service organizations by postal code.
• Starting work before the pre-retrofit evaluation when you want a rebate.
• Expecting your bills to match the rating, which uses standard conditions.
• Treating a virtual label as an EnerGuide rating (NRCan ↗).
• Losing paperwork: keep your file number, reports and paid invoices, which programs with a post-retrofit evaluation ask to see.

Next steps: read what a home energy audit is, check rebates where you live, estimate running costs with the energy cost calculator and build your plan.