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An EnerGuide home evaluation is Natural Resources Canada’s standard energy assessment for houses. A registered energy advisor measures the home, runs a blower door test for air leaks, and issues an EnerGuide rating plus a list of recommended upgrades. Some rebates require one before work starts; many heat pump rebates don’t.
Key facts
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| Who runs the system | Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through licensed service organizations |
| Who does the visit | A registered energy advisor working for one of those organizations |
| What you get | An EnerGuide rating (estimated annual energy use, in gigajoules) and a renovation upgrade report |
| Key test | Blower door test: a fan depressurizes the house to measure air leakage |
| Visits | Usually two when a rebate needs one: before the work and after it |
| Required for | Assessment-based programs such as Nova Scotia’s Home Energy Assessment and the Home Renovation Savings assessment track |
| Not required for | LogisVert, Ontario’s single-upgrade heat pump rebate and the announced National Heat Pump Rebate |
EnerGuide home evaluation at a glance, as of October 2026
What happens during an evaluation
The advisor records the size and construction of the house (walls, attic, basement, windows), the heating, cooling, ventilation and water heating equipment, and the insulation levels they can see. They then run a blower door test: a calibrated fan fitted into an exterior door pulls air out of the house so the advisor can measure how much leaks back in, and where.
Those measurements go into NRCan’s modelling software, which produces the EnerGuide rating and a report of upgrades ranked for that house. After you do the work, a second visit re-runs the blower door test and issues a new rating. That second visit is what most assessment-based rebates use to calculate and release payment.
When a rebate needs one
Programs that pay for envelope work (insulation, air sealing, windows) are the most likely to require an evaluation, because the before-and-after rating proves the improvement. Single-equipment rebates usually don’t. The rule that costs people the most money: assessment-based programs only pay for work done after the first visit. Book the evaluation before you sign a contract.
Québec changed its rule on October 1, 2026: Rénoclimat no longer requires an evaluation, but still covers up to $500 of one if you choose to book it. See LogisVert vs Rénoclimat for how the two Québec programs split the work.
What it costs
Where a program sets the fee, it is usually subsidized; elsewhere, service organizations set their own prices. Our EnerGuide evaluation guide lists the published fees and reimbursements by province, and how to book an advisor. Income-qualified programs in several provinces include the assessment at no cost.
See which programs apply to your home
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Sources
Last updated . Amounts and rules come from the official program pages below. If something has changed, please tell us.
- 1Home Energy Assessment Program · Efficiency Nova Scotiaefficiencyns.ca
- 2Home Renovation Savings Program · Save on Energyhomerenovationsavings.ca
- 3Rénoclimat · Government of Québecquebec.ca
- 4LogisVert Efficient Homes Program · Hydro-Québechydroquebec.com
- 5National Heat Pump Rebate · Government of Canadacanada.ca
- 6Natural Resources Canada: Find a service provider (EnerGuide evaluations)natural-resources.canada.ca
Related terms
- Rebate stacking
Claiming more than one program for the same home upgrade, such as a provincial rebate and a city loan for one heat pump, within each program’s rules on combining.
- Rebate, grant, loan and tax credit
The four main ways home energy programs pay: rebates and grants you keep, loans you repay, and tax credits you claim on your return. Some programs also install upgrades at no cost or take money off at the checkout.
- LogisVert vs Rénoclimat
A side-by-side of Québec’s two main home renovation programs: Hydro-Québec’s LogisVert, which pays for heat pumps and electric heating, and the Québec government’s Rénoclimat, which pays for insulation, windows and resilience work.
Keep reading
Energy audits · Canada-wide · 6 min read
EnerGuide home evaluation: steps, cost and rebates
What happens during an EnerGuide home evaluation, which rebates require one, what it costs in each province and how to book a registered energy advisor.
Heat pumps · Ontario · 9 min read
HRSP heat pump rebate by heating fuel: $7,500 vs $2,000
Why gas-heated Ontario homes get up to $2,000 for a heat pump and other homes up to $7,500, and when the HRSP assessment track pays more.