Home energy audits in Red Deer

Of Red Deer's 31,405 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 8% were built before 1961 and 46% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. The typical Red Deer house dates from 1991–1995, and an evaluation is how you find out what that means for yours: the blower door measures air leakage, the advisor inspects the attic, walls, basement, windows and heating system, and the report ranks upgrades by what they'd save.

Red Deer gets about 5,515 heating degree-days a year and has a winter design temperature of −28.9°C, according to NRCan's HOT2000 climate data for Red Deer Regional. That's the 7th-highest heating demand of the 70 cities we cover. The more heating a climate needs, the more each fix is worth, which is why the evaluation's ranked list matters more in some cities than others.

In the Red Deer area, 81% of households heat mainly with a forced-air furnace; natural gas is the main heating energy for 83% of households (Statistics Canada, 2023). The heating system on the report shapes the recommendations: a forced-air furnace invites a ducted heat pump, electric baseboards a ductless one.

There's no provincial rebate or price list; the City of Edmonton's guidance is to expect more than $400 and to get two or three quotes.

Most providers quote the initial (pre-upgrade) and follow-up (post-upgrade) visits separately. Rebate programs that pay on measured improvement need both, so ask for the combined price.

• Initial evaluation, about 2–3 hours. The advisor measures and inspects the house and runs the blower door test.
• Report and EnerGuide rating. You get the home's energy rating in gigajoules per year and a list of recommended upgrades with estimated savings.
• Do the work. Most rebate programs only count upgrades done after the initial evaluation.
• Follow-up evaluation. A second visit measures the improvement, which is what most rebates pay on.

Read the full guide to home energy audits.