National Approach to Home Labelling

Home labelling programs in Canada

The home labelling landscape in Canada is evolving. Provinces, territories and cities across the country are developing and implementing home labelling programs. Industry partners are involved in these programs and working with governments to explore new approaches. The federal role in home labelling is evolving too as government and industry partners look to the federal government to provide leadership and develop trusted national guidance and tools.

The home labelling landscape

More than 2.6 million homes in Canada have been labelled using Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide Rating SystemFootnote 1. Home labelling partners across the country rely on EnerGuide labels to support a wide range of programs, such as building code compliance for newly constructed homes and retrofit incentive programs for existing homes.

The latest innovation in home labelling is for homes to be assessed using virtual home labelling services. These services, developed by partners outside of the federal government, are being used to expand home labelling for existing homes in Canada and support homeowner education.

All home labelling approaches are intended to improve the visibility and transparency of energy use and efficiency information that households and consumers can use to inform and guide their decisions when buying, selling or renting a home, or making improvements to their home.

Home labelling programs are demonstrating the tools and approaches that are available to governments, industries and households. Valuable lessons are being learned as programs are developed and implemented. Solutions to key challenges, such as access to data, are being identified and shared among home labelling partners.

Types of home labelling programs

Home labelling can be triggered by mandatory requirements or voluntary programs, depending on the preferred approach. Home labelling can be required by provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal governments in Canada. While the federal government does not have jurisdiction over home labelling requirements, it supports home labelling efforts and collaboration through guidance, tools, and funding for labelling initiatives.

Provinces, territories and municipalities in Canada are advancing home labelling using the levers at their disposal. The primary types of home labelling programs:

  • Use virtual home labelling services to deliver widespread labelling
  • Require EnerGuide labels for all newly constructed homes
  • Offer rebate programs that use EnerGuide labels to verify the completion of work
  • Publicly display home labels on maps that allow for easy comparison.

Current home labelling programs

Many of the home labelling programs in Canada are being led by provinces, territories and municipalities. Governments and industry leaders are taking action on home labelling through new programs that deliver home labels. These programs are a vital part of the National Approach to Home Labelling. Current home labelling programs are listed below.

Browse home energy labelling programs by jurisdiction using the alphabetical index below.

Canada
EnerGuide Rating System and ENERGY STAR for New Homes Program.
Alberta
Calgary's Home Energy Label Program and upcoming Home Energy Performance Map. EnerGuide and virtual home energy labels for new and existing homes.
Edmonton's Home Energy Map and Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Alberta Municipalities' Clean Energy Improvement Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
British Columbia
BC Home Energy Planner. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
CleanBC Better Homes. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Manitoba
Manitoba's Path to Net Zero and upcoming home energy labelling system.
Efficiency Manitoba's EnerGuide Home Evaluation Rebate. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick's Climate Change Action Plan and upcoming home energy labelling pilot program. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
NB Power's Total Home Energy Savings Program and the New Home Energy Savings Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for new and existing homes.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation's Home Energy Savings Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories' Home Energy Evaluations Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Yellowknife's Building Bylaw. EnerGuide home energy labels for new homes.
Nova Scotia
Efficiency One's Remote Home Energy Assessments Pilot. EnerGuide home energy labels and virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Efficiency Nova Scotia's Home Energy Assessment. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Ontario
Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Enbridge Gas' Residential Savings by Design Program. ENERGY STAR® for New Homes.
Ontario's Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Automated Home Energy Rating and Retrofit Report. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Toronto's Net Zero Strategy and upcoming residential carbon awareness and engagement program. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Durham Region and Windfall Ecology's Virtual Home Energy Assessment Tool. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Ottawa's Better Homes Ottawa Portal and upcoming home energy labelling program. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island's Net Zero Framework and upcoming home energy labelling program. Virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Prince Edward Island's Home Energy Assessment and Energy Efficiency Loan Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Prince Edward Island's New Home Construction Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for new homes and ENERGY STAR® for New Homes.
Quebec
Quebec's Rénoclimat program. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Saskatchewan
SaskEnergy's Homes Beyond Code Program. EnerGuide home energy labels for new homes.
Saskatoon's Home Energy Map and Home Energy Loan Program. EnerGuide and virtual home energy labels for existing homes.
Yukon
Yukon's Good Energy Rebates. EnerGuide home energy labels for existing homes.
Whitehorse's Building Bylaw. EnerGuide home energy labels for new homes.
 
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