Questions, answered

No. Canadian Energy Standard is an independent, privately owned home-services company. We are not a government agency, a utility company or a government program.

We help homeowners understand the energy-efficiency programs available to them and, where it applies, help with rebate or incentive applications. The program administrator decides who is eligible and how much they receive, not us.

We will never tell you that you have to buy from us to get a government rebate, and we don't present ourselves as part of any government agency or utility.

Canadian Energy Standard plans and manages the work, and the installation itself is carried out by licensed contractors. In Ontario that means TSSA registration for gas work and an ESA licence for electrical work; other provinces have their own equivalents. We check every contractor's registration, licence, insurance and WSIB clearance before they work on your home. You don't have to take our word for it: ask for the numbers of the contractor assigned to your job, then confirm them directly with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) or the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA).

Work on your home is done by our own team or by contractors we've verified. Before anyone works on your home, we check that they hold the registration or licence their trade requires — TSSA registration for gas work, ESA licensing for electrical work — along with proof of insurance and WSIB clearance. We check the documents ourselves rather than take anyone's word for it, and we re-check them rather than assume they've stayed current. You're welcome to ask which company is attending your job and what they're registered for.

A legitimate company should be comfortable with you checking. If anyone gets defensive when you ask, treat that as a warning sign.

You're always welcome to verify them before you share any information or let anyone into your home. Ask for their name and how to reach them, then contact us using the phone number or email published on this website, not a number or link the person gives you.

If a conversation makes you uncomfortable, you can end it and call us yourself to confirm the person or the appointment. You're never expected to buy anything because someone contacted you unexpectedly.

No. The consultation is there to help you understand your home's energy use and your options. You don't have to buy equipment, sign a contract or go ahead with any upgrade we recommend.

If we give you a proposal, take the time you need to review it, ask questions and get other quotes. We'd rather you make an informed decision than a rushed one.

Absolutely, and we encourage it. When you compare, look past the headline price at the equipment being installed, warranties, the scope of the installation, labour, financing costs, rebate assumptions, maintenance and the total cost.

If you have questions about how another quote differs from ours, we're happy to walk you through what's included in our proposal, with no pressure to go ahead.

Your written agreement sets out your cancellation rights, so ask us to explain them before you sign. Provincial consumer protection laws can also give you a cooling-off period. In Ontario, for example, you can cancel a contract signed in your home within 10 days without giving a reason.

Rules differ by province. If you're not sure what applies to you, your provincial consumer protection office can tell you.

Be cautious if someone:

• Claims to be from the government or your utility and can't prove it.
• Says you must decide today to get a rebate.
• Guarantees a rebate before your eligibility has been confirmed.
• Won't give you a written proposal or contract.
• Asks for personal or financial information that has nothing to do with your home's energy use.
• Pushes you to sign before you've had time to read the agreement.
• Tells you not to compare their offer with other companies.
• Uses government logos or program names without explaining their actual relationship to them.
• Shows up unannounced offering a free inspection, then says your furnace or water heater is unsafe and must be replaced.

In Ontario, a business can't sign you up at your door for a furnace, air conditioner, water heater and several other home products unless you contacted them first. If something doesn't feel right, step back and verify the company and the program on your own. We'd much rather you take the time to check.

No. Canadian Energy Standard doesn't guarantee rebates. Programs, funding, eligibility rules and amounts can change, and some programs close when their funding runs out.

Any rebate amount in your proposal is an estimate until the program administrator confirms your eligibility, and we label estimates clearly as estimates.

It depends on your home, the upgrades you choose, which programs are open and whether you qualify. Some programs offer up to $10,000 for qualifying upgrades, but not every home qualifies for the maximum, and some homes don't qualify at all.

We show the estimated figures and their conditions in your written package. The program administrator makes the final decision.

We encourage you to check before you buy. When we mention a rebate, your written proposal names the program and sets out the eligibility requirements, the estimated amount and any important conditions.

To check a program yourself, go to the official website of the government agency, utility or program administrator, or call them before you sign anything. Our job is to make the process easier, not to stop you from checking our information.

No. Government and utility rebates aren't tied to our company. Some programs do have their own rules, such as using a participating contractor or having a home energy evaluation before and after the work. We'll tell you what each program requires so you can decide who to work with.

Yes. The phone consultation, the review of your energy signature and your custom package are all free, and there's no obligation to go ahead.

Most of what we need to know is in your energy bills and how you use your home, so there's no need to arrange a visit just to get started. Anything that needs measuring is confirmed before installation.

It's the pattern of how much energy your home uses, and when, across the seasons and the times of day. Together with your time-of-use rates, it shows where your money goes and which upgrades will actually make a difference.

A recent electricity bill and gas bill (all pages), and a rough idea of how old your furnace, air conditioner and water heater are.

Your bills show how your home actually uses energy and what you pay for it, so our recommendations are based on your situation instead of guesses.

Only share what you're comfortable sharing. We will never ask for your online banking password, a credit card PIN or your Social Insurance Number for an energy consultation. If you're not sure why we need something, ask us first.

We don't sell your personal information. Our privacy policy explains what we collect, who we share it with and how to ask us to delete it.

It depends on your home and the upgrades you choose, so we don't quote prices before reviewing your energy signature. Your custom package lists every cost in writing.

Your written package sets out the upgrades we recommend, what each one involves, every cost, any rebate estimates with their conditions, and the financing terms if you choose financing. No work starts until you've agreed to a written plan.

If something you were told isn't in writing, ask us to add it before you sign.

Yes, for qualifying customers, subject to lender approval. We'll include the options in your custom package so you can compare them with paying up front.

Look at the total cost of borrowing, not just the monthly payment, and don't sign a financing agreement until you've read it.

Tell us and we'll work to make it right. If your home isn't comfortable after we install your new system, we'll come back. Every project is also backed by our 100% workmanship standards guarantee and the manufacturer warranties on your equipment.

If we can't resolve a concern together, you can contact your provincial consumer protection office.

Yes. The cold-climate models we install keep heating down to −30 °C. Some homeowners also keep their gas furnace as a backup for extreme cold snaps, and the system switches over automatically.

No. Each phase stands on its own, and plenty of homeowners only ever do one. We work in phases because the order affects both cost and results: insulation and mechanicals first, then windows and doors, then roof and solar. Your written package shows what each phase involves so you can decide how far to go.

Not always. Solar panels last for decades, so if your roof is near the end of its life, it's usually worth replacing it first. We'll look at this as part of your package.

Not on its own. A grid-tied system without a battery shuts off during an outage for safety. With a battery and the right setup, it can keep your essential circuits running.

We work with homeowners in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. If you're not sure whether you're in our area, ask in your consultation request and we'll let you know.