Technical Backgrounder

The EnerGuide for Houses service is a two-hour analysis that evaluates the energy profile of a home and gives the homeowner detailed recommendations on how to reduce energy use. A Certified Energy Advisor visits the home equipped with sophisticated measurement tools, including a blower door to test for air leaks. After all the information is collected, including number of air exchanges per hour, insulation levels, heating system efficiency, etc., the advisor creates a computer-generated report analyzing home energy use and detailing potential improvements. The report also includes the official EnerGuide rating on a scale of 1 to 100. The homeowner has up to 18 months to complete the recommended retrofits, at which time they contact the delivery agent to perform the post-retrofit evaluation to quantify the improvements, and issue a new rating. Provided they have improved their rating enough to qualify for a grant, the agent sends the incentive application to NRCan on the homeowner's behalf.