How to Get a Home Energy Audit in Ottawa

Getting a home energy audit in Ottawa is straightforward. Follow these steps to schedule an audit and get on the path to a more efficient home:

1. Research Certified Energy Auditors in Ottawa. The first step is to find a qualified professional or company to perform the audit. In Canada, energy audits for rebate programs must be done by NRCan-registered energy advisors. Look for local Ottawa services that specialize in energy assessments. You can search through Natural Resources Canada’s list of licensed service organizations, or simply contact MUS Energy Solutions, which offers home energy audit Ottawa services with certified advisors. Make sure to choose an auditor with experience in Ottawa’s climate and housing (MUS, for example, has performed audits on all types of homes – from older downtown houses to newer builds in Kanata – giving them broad local expertise). Don’t hesitate to ask about credentials and what the audit will include.

2. Contact the Auditor and Schedule the Energy Audit. Once you’ve identified a trusted provider, reach out to schedule your home energy audit. You’ll typically discuss your home’s details (size, age, type of heating, etc.) and the auditor will explain the process and fee. In Ottawa, a professional energy audit usually costs around $500 to $700 for the initial evaluation​. (If you plan to apply for rebates, this fee might be reimbursed later, and a follow-up audit after renovations often costs less, typically $200–$300​.) Schedule the audit for a time you can be home – audits often take about 2 to 3 hours to complete, and the homeowner or legal owner should be present. MUS Energy Solutions can often accommodate appointments in the evening or on weekends to fit your schedule, but be sure to book in advance during peak seasons (fall and spring are popular times for audits).

3. Prepare Your Home for the Energy Assessment. Before the auditor arrives, you’ll want to prep your home to ensure the process goes smoothly. Close all windows and doors tightly and seal up any obvious openings; the auditor needs the house in a normal “closed” state for accurate testing (especially for the blower door test). If you have a wood-burning fireplace, avoid using it for at least 24 hours before the audit and close the damper​. Make sure the auditor can access key areas: unlock the attic hatch, clear away items blocking the furnace, hot water tank, or crawlspaces, and ensure all rooms are accessible. Having your property tax bill or roll number on hand can be helpful if the audit needs that info (sometimes required for official reports). Essentially, think of it like preparing for a home inspection. The MUS Energy Solutions team will provide you with a checklist beforehand – for example, they’ll remind you to remove or secure pets during the audit and to prepare a list of any specific concerns you want them to focus on (drafty master bedroom, cold basement, etc.). A little preparation will help the energy assessment Ottawa process go off without a hitch.

4. Attend the On-Site Home Energy Audit. On the day of the audit, the energy advisor will arrive with testing equipment. They will do a walk-through of your entire home, examining insulation in the attic and walls (if accessible), checking the condition and efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, and looking for any obvious signs of energy loss (like gaps or insufficient weatherstripping). A key part of the audit is the blower door test. The auditor will mount a blower door fan in an exterior doorway to depressurize the house. This test deliberately pulls air out of your home, which causes outside air to leak in through any gaps or cracks in your home’s envelope. By doing this, the auditor can measure your home’s air leakage rate and pinpoint where the drafts are coming in​. For example, you may discover that cold air is seeping in around a poorly sealed attic hatch or through recessed lighting fixtures. (See image below for a typical blower door setup during an Ottawa energy audit.)  A blower door test in progress. A powerful fan is fitted in an exterior door (red cover) to create negative pressure inside the house, causing outside air to enter through any leaks. Energy auditors also use tools like a yellow infrared camera (foreground) to detect cold spots and drafts in the home’s insulation and air barrier. While the blower door test runs, the auditor might walk around with a smoke pencil or thermal imaging camera to visually show where air is sneaking in. This is an eye-opening part of the audit – you’ll actually see where insulation is missing or seals are weak. The auditor will also check ventilation and may perform a safety test on combustion appliances (furnace, water heater) to ensure there are no backdrafting issues when the house is depressurized. Overall, expect the on-site audit to be very informative. Don’t hesitate to ask the auditor questions during or after the process – a good energy advisor (like those at MUS Energy Solutions) will happily explain what they are finding and offer immediate tips as they go through your home.

5. Review the Energy Audit Report and Results. After the on-site assessment, the auditor will compile all the data into a comprehensive report. You likely won’t get the full report on the same day – it often takes a week or two for them to prepare it – but some auditors will give you a quick verbal summary before they leave. When the report is ready, you’ll receive an official EnerGuide rating for your home (if it’s an NRCan audit) and documentation of all the findings. The report will include your home’s EnerGuide label comparing your energy performance to similar homes, plus a detailed breakdown of where your energy is going (heating, hot water, appliances, etc.). Most importantly, it will provide a prioritized list of recommended upgrades to improve your home’s efficiency​. For example, the report might suggest adding R50 insulation to your attic, sealing the basement rim joists, upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace, or installing a smart thermostat. This is essentially your energy improvement roadmap. Take the time to go over the report carefully. At MUS Energy Solutions, our energy advisors will walk you through the results in plain language, ensuring you understand each recommendation and the potential benefits. We’ll answer any questions you have and help you decide on next steps that fit your budget and goals.
6. Implement Recommended Upgrades (Insulation, Air Sealing, etc.). Now the real gains begin – it’s time to act on the audit’s recommendations. You don’t have to do everything at once, but tackling as many improvements as possible will maximize your energy savings. Common upgrades after an energy audit include: adding insulation (for instance, topping up attic insulation, insulating exposed foundation walls, or injecting foam into wall cavities), air sealing all those leaks identified (caulking gaps, weatherstripping doors and windows, sealing ductwork leaks, etc.), upgrading to more efficient HVAC equipment (furnace, heat pump, water heater), and sometimes replacing older windows or doors with high-efficiency models. Focus on the items the audit report highlighted as high priority. Often, improving insulation and airtightness yields the biggest benefit in Ottawa’s climate. This is where MUS Energy Solutions can truly help you — as insulation and building envelope specialists, we can carry out the recommended upgrades with professional quality. For example, if your audit shows that your home’s air barrier is leaky, we might suggest installing spray foam insulation in critical areas to both insulate and seal those air leaks in one go. Our team has extensive experience with air barriers and spray foam insulation, so we can ensure your home is tightened up properly without compromising ventilation or indoor air quality. Spray foam insulation being applied to open wall cavities as an upgrade. Spray foam expands to fill gaps and forms an effective thermal insulation layer as well as an airtight seal. Upgrades like this can significantly improve your EnerGuide score and eliminate cold drafts identified during the energy audit. By completing the suggested upgrades, you’ll start noticing improvements: rooms will stay warmer (or cooler in summer) with less heating/cooling effort, and your monthly energy bills will begin to drop. Make sure to keep all receipts and documentation of the upgrades, especially if you plan to pursue rebate programs. For Ottawa homeowners, MUS Energy Solutions can not only perform these upgrades — from spray foam insulation Ottawa installations to advanced air-sealing techniques — but also guide you on which improvements qualify for rebates. We aim to provide actionable value: that means after your audit, we give you a clear plan and can execute it, so you see real results in comfort and savings.
7. Schedule a Follow-Up Audit (for Rebates, Optional). This step may not be necessary for everyone, but if you are participating in a rebate or grant program, a post-upgrade or follow-up energy audit is typically required. After you have implemented the recommended retrofits (usually within a certain timeframe like Greener Homes required within 12-18 months), your energy advisor will return to conduct another evaluation. This is essentially a repeat of the initial audit to measure the improvement. They will perform another blower door test and update your home’s EnerGuide rating. The follow-up audit verifies the energy efficiency gains and is used to unlock rebates – for instance, programs might reimburse up to $600 of your audit fees and provide grant money (up to several thousand dollars) for the upgrades you did. Even if you’re not after rebates, it can be rewarding to do a post-audit to see how much better your home performs. In Ottawa, many incentive programs in the past covered the entire cost of this second audit, effectively making it free for the homeowner. When you work with MUS Energy Solutions, we will handle all the paperwork and coordination for any needed follow-up audit. We stay with you until you achieve the results – and the rebates – that you’re aiming for.

By following these steps on how to get a home energy audit in Ottawa, you’ll go from initial inquiry to completed upgrades smoothly. Next, let’s discuss some of the specific upgrade solutions in a bit more detail, and how they tie back to what the audit found.