Before you upgrade, build a home energy brief.
A good assessment starts with a clear question. Your bill history, comfort issues and renovation plans help make the visit useful.
Your bill report explains consumption and charges. An on-site assessment investigates the building.
Bring a year of context
Gather electricity and heating-fuel statements covering different seasons. Note occupancy changes, EV charging, a new appliance or time away. Mark estimated readings and unusual billing periods. That context helps separate a building issue from a change in use.
Map the comfort problems
Write down rooms that are difficult to heat or cool, drafts you notice, condensation and the times problems occur. Observations are more useful than a diagnosis made from a single high bill. Avoid opening electrical panels or disturbing building materials to prepare your notes.
Understand the assessment
A professional assessment may examine the building envelope, equipment and air leakage. An EnerGuide evaluation in Canada can include a blower-door test and a discussion of planned improvements. Ask the service provider what the visit covers, what access is needed and which documents you will receive.
Read the recommendations in order
Ask how proposed improvements interact. Equipment sizing can change after envelope improvements. Compare scope, cost and expected benefits before requesting installation quotes. An EnerGuide rating and modeled energy use are not expected to exactly match a particular household’s utility bills.
Your next four steps.
- Collect 12 months of bills where available.
- List comfort issues by room.
- Share planned renovations and your priorities.
- Ask which pre-approval steps apply to any incentive.
Put the idea into numbers.
Open the calculatorHAUSE Energy · Reviewed September 8, 2026. For current program rules or prices, use your utility’s published documents and the regional source guide.