EnerGuide for New Houses / R-2000

If you're building a new home, there will never be a better time for you to build in lasting performance and comfort... and do it at the lowest possible cost.

For example, the extra cost of upgrading windows to include energy efficient glass is typically about 10%, far less than replacing the glass or windows in the future.

And what are the chances of insulating under your basement floor slab after it is poured?

Energy efficiency improvements are a solid investment. The up-front costs of energy upgrades are fixed when you build. Savings, however, continue to rise each time energy prices increase. Homes that use less energy insulate their owners from future price increases.

As of January 1, 2010, new energy efficiency and water conservation standards became part of the provincial building code.  For more information about these changes click here.

What are the EnerGuide for New Houses and R-2000 programs?

The EnerGuide for New Houses program is an unbiased home energy analysis tool developed by the federal government. It helps homeowners make better energy choices when they build. Homeowners can compare monthly energy savings against the extra monthly mortgage costs of making energy efficiency upgrades.

The EnerGuide rating is based on a scale of 1-100. The higher the rating, the more efficient the home.

For more information on the R-2000 program click here.

How does EnerGuide for New Houses work?

After the home is registered in the program, a certified energy evaluator models the energy performance of your new home based on the building plans. The EnerGuide analysis will estimate the home's future energy costs and provides an initial EnerGuide rating. Potential upgrades to improve your new home's energy efficiency will be recommended. In consultation with your builder, you decide which upgrades make sense to you.

After your home is built, an EnerGuide evaluator does an on site inspection to test the home's air tightness and verify its energy features. This determines the home's final EnerGuide rating.

What does it cost?

The cost to you is $250 plus HST. Conserve Nova Scotia also subsidizes the audit cost by an additional $250.

Tell me about the rebates!

The $250 Energuide for New Houses program registration fee will be rebated to either the builder or the homeowner (depending on who paid the initial registration fee) if the completed home has an EnerGuide rating of 80 or more.

A completed home with an EnerGuide rating of 83 or more qualifies homeowners for an additional $500 rebate.

An R-2000 home with an EnerGuide rating of 83 or higher will receive a $1,000 rebate.  For more information on the R-2000 program click here.

New homes registered after July 1, 2009, are eligible for rebates for electrical energy efficiency measures and time of use heating systems. Click here for more information.

Enjoy Permanent Energy Savings

Think you can't afford to build energy efficiency into your new home? Think again. The EnerGuide for New Houses Cost and Savings Chart shows that financing energy efficiency improvements can cost much less than monthly energy savings. So your extra investment in energy efficiency can actually reduce your combined monthly payments (ie your mortgage, your taxes and your energy costs). How can you not afford to pay LESS per month?

How do I sign up for the Energuide for New Houses or the R-2000 program?

Contact the Nova Scotia Homebuilders' Association at 1-800-668-2001 or Sustainable Housing and Education Consultant Inc at 1-877-722-2842.