Home Energy Assessments in Ontario: What Happens and Is It Worth It?

A home energy assessment is a professional, whole-house review of how your home uses and loses energy. In Canada, the standard is the EnerGuide Rating System, developed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Assessments are carried out by Registered Energy Advisors (REAs), who work through licensed service organizations.

For many homeowners, the assessment is the step that turns guesswork into a plan. It also unlocks the larger incentives in Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program. This guide explains what happens on the day, what you get, what it costs, and when it is worth doing.

What happens during an assessment

A typical visit takes two to four hours. The advisor will:

1. Interview you about comfort problems, energy bills, plans and how you use the house.
2. Measure the house: floor areas, ceiling heights, windows and doors, wall and foundation dimensions.
3. Inspect insulation in the attic, walls (where visible or by small inspection points) and basement.
4. Record mechanical systems: furnace or boiler, heat pump, air conditioner, water heater, ventilation, and their efficiency ratings.
5. Run a blower door test to measure air leakage in ACH50, and often use a smoke pencil or infrared camera to locate leaks.
6. Enter the data into NRCan's modelling software, which estimates annual energy use under standard operating conditions.

You do not need to empty the house, but clear access to the attic hatch, basement walls, mechanical room and electrical panel helps. During the blower door test, fireplaces and wood stoves must be cold and ash secured.

What you receive

Deliverable	What it tells you
EnerGuide label	Your home's rated annual energy consumption in gigajoules per year (GJ/year). Lower is better. Also shows a reference house for comparison.
Homeowner information sheet	The breakdown of where energy goes (walls, ceiling, basement, windows, air leakage, ventilation, water heating).
Upgrade recommendations	A prioritized list of improvements and the rating your home could reach if you complete them.
Blower door result	Air leakage in ACH50, useful as a before-and-after benchmark.

The rating is based on standard assumptions about occupants and thermostat settings, so it describes the house, not your household's habits. That makes it useful for comparing homes and measuring improvement, but your actual bills will differ.

Typical ACH50 and what it means

Result	What it suggests
Above 10 ACH50	Very leaky. Air sealing is likely a top priority.
6–10 ACH50	Typical older Ontario home. Targeted air sealing will help.
3.5–6 ACH50	Reasonably tight older home or average newer home.
Below 3.5 ACH50	Tight. Make sure ventilation is adequate.

See our air sealing guide for how to act on the results.

Cost

Assessment fees are set by service organizations, not by government, and vary by region and house size. As a rough guide, each assessment (pre-retrofit or post-retrofit) commonly costs about $300–$600 out of pocket. Rural and northern areas may cost more because of travel.

According to Save on Energy, the Home Renovation Savings Program assessment stream has included an assessment completion incentive of $600, which can offset much of the cost of the assessments when you complete the program. Confirm the current amount and conditions on saveonenergy.ca.

How assessments connect to rebates

The Home Renovation Savings Program, jointly delivered by Save on Energy (IESO) and Enbridge Gas, has two broad paths:

Path	Assessment needed?	Examples (as published mid-2026)
Product or standalone route	No	Smart thermostat $100; ENERGY STAR appliances up to $200; standalone attic insulation up to $1,250
Heat pump route	No energy assessment, but pre-installation approval and a participating contractor	Air-source or ground-source heat pumps
Assessment stream	Yes, pre- and post-retrofit	Insulation (up to $7,700 for non-gas-heated homes), windows and doors $100 per rough opening, heat pump water heater $500, air sealing up to $250, completion $600; at least two upgrades; caps of $5,000 (gas-heated) or $10,000 (non-gas-heated)

The reported 2026 timelines for the assessment stream are tight: the post-retrofit assessment must be scheduled by 30 November 2026, and work must be complete within 180 days of the pre-assessment or by 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. If you are considering this path now, contact a service organization immediately and confirm what is still possible. Full details are in our Home Renovation Savings Program guide.

Note: Program rules and dates change. Always confirm on saveonenergy.ca or enbridgegas.com before booking or starting work.

Is an assessment worth it?

An assessment is most valuable when:

• You are planning several upgrades or a major renovation and want to prioritize.
• You want to qualify for assessment-stream incentives.
• You have comfort problems (cold rooms, drafts, ice dams) and are not sure of the cause.
• You are buying an older home and want to understand its energy profile.
• You are considering a heat pump and want reliable data on your home's heat loss. (An assessment is not a substitute for a room-by-room load calculation, but it is a useful input.)

It may be less useful if you are only replacing a single appliance, or if your home is new and well built.

How to prepare

• Gather 12 months of electricity and gas (or oil/propane) bills.
• Note any renovations, insulation upgrades or equipment replacements with dates.
• List comfort problems room by room.
• Clear access to the attic hatch, basement perimeter and mechanical equipment.
• Plan to be home and available for questions.

Choosing a Registered Energy Advisor

Look for an advisor working through an NRCan-licensed service organization. Ask how soon they can book both the pre- and post-retrofit visits, what the fees are, whether the report includes specific recommendations, and whether they will help you understand program paperwork. Be cautious of any company that offers a "free assessment" at your door and then focuses on selling a particular product. Read our door-to-door scams guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is an EnerGuide assessment the same as a home inspection?

No. A home inspection looks at condition and safety across the whole house. An energy assessment focuses specifically on energy use, insulation, air leakage and mechanical efficiency.

Will the assessor tell me which contractor to use?

Advisors provide recommendations on what to upgrade, not who to hire. Independent advisors should not push a specific contractor or product.

What happens if I do not do the post-retrofit assessment?

In programs that require it, skipping the post-retrofit assessment usually means you will not receive the assessment-stream incentives. Check deadlines carefully.

Does a better EnerGuide rating increase my home's value?

It can help when selling, as buyers increasingly ask about energy costs. The effect on price is hard to quantify, but a documented rating and upgrade history is a useful selling point.