Home Energy Labeling in BC
Home Energy Labelling at the Time of Sale can have significant economic, social and environmental benefits for the Province of BC.
To date:
The Climate Action Team recommended that BC implement mandatory labelling at time of sale by 2012.
Utilities and the BC government are supporting labelling pilots in several BC communities.
When the homeowner decides to sell their home, they request a home energy assessment to be conducted by a Natural Resources Canada Certified Energy Advisor. The energy assessment takes into account the heating and hot-water systems, insulation levels, windows, doors and includes a test to determine overall air leakage. Computer modeling is performed by the Certified Energy Advisor to produce a report summarizing the home’s energy efficiency. The homeowner is provided with an initial EnerGuide for Houses Rating.
An EnerGuide rating shows a standard measure of your home's energy performance. It shows you (and future buyers) how energy efficient your home is. The rating is calculated based on standard operation assumptions so that you can compare the energy performance of one house against another.
The home's energy efficiency level is rated on a scale of 0 to 100. A rating of 0 represents a home with major air leakage, no insulation and extremely high energy consumption. A rating of 100 represents a house that is airtight, well insulated, sufficiently ventilated and requires no purchased energy on an annual basis. A new home built to code in 2010 in BC should be built to EnerGuide 77.
When the homeowner is participating in a Home Energy Labelling At Time of Sale initiative the EnerGuide rating is posted on the MLS so that it is available to potential purchasers.
Home Energy Labelling
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Building labeling is one of the actions that is listed in the draft Greenest City Action Plan as a means of achieving our 2020 targets.