Already had an energy audit? What your old EnerGuide report is still good for

What an old report is still good for

More than 409,000 households completed upgrades through the Canada Greener Homes Grant (NRCan ↗), which took applications from May 2021 to February 2024 and required a pre- and a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation (grant steps ↗). Many homeowners therefore already have a report. It is still useful for:

• Planning. The Renovation Upgrade Report ranks upgrades by estimated savings. NRCan says even the recommendations on old 0–100 labels are still valid (NRCan ↗).
• Your home's details. The Homeowner Information Sheet records the building envelope and equipment as the advisor found them, and the evaluation included an airtightness (blower door) test.
• A before picture. If you've upgraded since, the old rating shows where you started.
• Talking to contractors. Quebec's Rénoclimat notes its report can serve as a reminder for months when you discuss work with a contractor (Québec ↗).

Can it be reused for a rebate? What programs say

There is no national rule on reusing an evaluation; each program sets its own. Here is what current programs say (as of October 8, 2026):

Ontario's program also asks that the same service organization do both assessments and strongly recommends the same advisor. Joining it again later means a new pre- and post-assessment, and its $600 assessment rebate is paid only once (program requirements ↗). Rénoclimat's old-rules post-work evaluations must be done by March 31, 2027 (Québec ↗). Rénoclimat's subsequent-evaluation page is still online. We read it as describing the rules before October 1, 2026, because it ties aid to a better rating, which the 2026 guide no longer does, so confirm with the program before you rely on it.

Bought a home that already had an evaluation?

NRCan says the homeowner who paid for an evaluation owns the EnerGuide reports, and privacy law lets NRCan share them only with that party. It encourages sellers to share reports with buyers, so ask the seller or your agent for the label, information sheet and upgrade report (NRCan ↗).

The programs we checked treat you as a new participant. Rénoclimat's eligibility page tells new owners they must register themselves and get a new pre-work evaluation (Québec ↗), and its 2026 guide says a buyer can't receive aid for work the previous owner did. Ontario's program requires you to own the home and complete the pre-assessment before work starts. See buying a home.

Getting a copy of your own report

• Start with the service organization that did the evaluation; NRCan lists organizations' phone numbers by postal code (NRCan ↗). Older 0–100 labels show the evaluation date, file number, advisor and organization.
• If it was for the Canada Greener Homes Grant, your organization also uploaded the reports to the program's online portal, and NRCan advises keeping program documents until March 31, 2028 (NRCan ↗).
• In Quebec, have your Rénoclimat file number ready and call Rénoclimat customer service at 1 866 266-0008 (Québec ↗).
• NRCan itself can share reports only with the party that purchased them.

When a fresh evaluation is worth it

• A rebate program requires its own evaluation before work starts, as most of the programs we checked do.
• You've renovated, air sealed or replaced heating, cooling or water heating equipment since the last visit, so the old rating no longer describes the house.
• Your label uses the old 0–100 scale (evaluations before 2019): a GJ rating needs a new evaluation.
• You bought the home and can't get the previous owner's reports.
• You're planning a heat pump and want current numbers; pair it with a heat loss calculation.

Lower-cost follow-ups exist (as of October 2026): Rénoclimat's subsequent evaluation costs $150 plus tax under the earlier rules, as we read them (Québec ↗), New Brunswick charges $99 plus HST for both visits, and Efficiency Manitoba rebates $400 of a pre-retrofit evaluation once per address (Efficiency Manitoba ↗). Elsewhere, NRCan's average is $600 to $1,000 for a pre- and post-retrofit pair.

If the first evaluation seemed poorly done

Some things are normal. The rating won't match your bills, because it uses standard conditions and applies to the house only (NRCan ↗), and a single small upgrade, such as replacing one window or installing a heat recovery ventilator, may not move the rating (Rénoclimat). Warning signs include details on the information sheet that don't match your home, a missing blower door test, or reports that never arrived.

1. Write to the service organization with specifics. Licensed organizations must follow NRCan's administrative procedures and employ a quality assurance specialist, who can't review their own files (NRCan ↗). Ask whether your file has been reviewed and can be corrected.
2. Check that the company is on NRCan's list of service organizations, or contact NRCan to verify it.
3. If the evaluation was for a program, tell the program: Ontario's Home Renovation Savings (info@homerenovationsavings.ca) or Rénoclimat's administrator (renoclimat@environnement.gouv.qc.ca). Ontario's terms say the program isn't responsible for organizations' acts or omissions (program terms ↗).
4. Know the limits: NRCan says organizations are independent businesses and it accepts no liability for workmanship (NRCan ↗). We found no published NRCan complaint process for homeowners.
5. For your next evaluation, choose another licensed organization, unless a program asks you to stay with the first one, as Ontario's does for the follow-up.

Mistakes to avoid and next steps

• Starting work before a required pre-evaluation: Ontario, New Brunswick and Rénoclimat's earlier rules exclude work done before it.
• Assuming a Greener Homes evaluation counts for Ontario's program: the pre-assessment must be on or after January 28, 2025.
• Switching organizations partway through a program that asks you to keep the same one.
• Letting an unsolicited caller “re-inspect” your home: NRCan never authorizes unsolicited inspections. Report scams to energystar@canada.ca and local police (NRCan ↗).

Next steps: find a licensed advisor, check evaluation costs and current programs, estimate savings with the energy cost calculator, and update your plan.