How can I tell if my home uses too much energy?

Learn more about what makes a home energy-efficient [2.56MB PDF] with Natural Resources Canada.

According to Natural Resources Canada’s 2015 Survey of Household Energy Use (SHEU-2015), a single detached home in British Columbia consumes 106.3 gigajoules (GJ) of energy per year on average. However, this number can vary depending on a number of factors, such as: type of dwelling, year built, heated area and the number of occupants. Refer to the SHEU-2015 Energy Intensity Per Household Data Table for more details. If your energy consumption exceeds the SHEU-2015 benchmarks then your home may be consuming too much energy.

Another way to learn more about your energy consumption is by having an energy advisor come to your home and complete an EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation. A program-qualified energy advisor will conduct various tests to measure the energy efficiency of your home. After the evaluation, the energy advisor will outline the energy inefficiencies of your home. They will also send you an EnerGuide rating label, a detailed report of your energy evaluation and recommendations for upgrades that will help improve your home’s energy efficiency. The Renovation Upgrade Report will give your current energy rating, and the rating you can achieve by completing the recommended energy efficiency upgrades.

Did you see a building science or energy efficiency term you did not understand? Check out our glossary.