Calculate annual heating energy and cost from furnace AFUE rating. Compare high-efficiency vs. standard furnaces with full payback analysis.
Estimate air leakage energy loss from blower door test results or ACH50 rating. Quantify the heating and cooling cost impact of an air-leaky building envelope.
Calculate before/after energy savings from air sealing work using ACH50 improvement, degree days, and heating fuel cost.
Model total annual home or building energy cost across heating, cooling, water heating, and base loads for any Canadian city and fuel mix.
Convert blower door test results (CFM50, Pascals) into ACH50 and normalized leakage. Benchmark against NBC 2020 and Net Zero Ready targets.
Calculate CO₂ emissions from HVAC systems. Compare gas vs. electric heat pump emissions by province using actual grid emission factors.
Calculate seasonal coefficient of performance for heat pumps across a Canadian heating season, accounting for capacity degradation at low outdoor temperatures.
Estimate annual heating and cooling energy from HDD/CDD, building UA, and system efficiency for any Canadian city.
Calculate energy and cost savings from sealing leaky ductwork, based on estimated leakage percentage and system operating hours.
Estimate free-cooling energy savings from an air-side economizer based on your climate's bin temperature data and cooling load.
Calculate Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and convert between EER and SEER. EER measures efficiency at a single peak condition.
A desk-audit tool covering envelope, mechanical, and controls, producing an EnerGuide-style score and prioritized upgrade list.
Calculate energy use intensity (kWh/m²/yr) and benchmark against typical Canadian building types and performance tiers.
Compare ENERGY STAR certified equipment against standard models across 8 product categories, with 15-year savings and payback.
Calculate and benchmark building EUI in kWh/m² and GJ/m² against Canadian building type norms, with HDD normalization.
Compare heating costs between natural gas, propane, oil, electric resistance, and electric heat pump on a cost-per-BTU delivered basis.
Calculate GHG emissions from all home energy use by province, with reduction scenarios for heat pump switching, envelope upgrades, and solar PV.
Full cost and GHG comparison of heat pump vs. gas furnace across your climate, load, and utility rates, including dual-fuel scenarios.
Calculate energy savings and payback from installing an HRV or ERV vs. exhaust-only ventilation, using sensible recovery efficiency (SRE).
Calculate heat pump heating energy from HSPF or HSPF2 rating. Convert between HSPF and HSPF2 and compare to gas on a per-BTU basis.
Calculate ROI and payback for attic, wall, basement, and other insulation upgrades using RSI improvement and degree days.
Calculate energy and cost savings from converting to LED lighting, including cooling load reduction from lower heat output.
Calculate efficiency and annual cost for chillers, boilers, pumps, fans, and compressors, including IPLV and VFD savings analysis.
Model the path to net-zero energy for your home: select upgrade measures and see the energy gap, GHG reduction, and net cost after any rebates you enter.
Calculate the payback period for installing a heat recovery ventilator. Compare HRV installed cost against annual heating energy savings for Canadian climates.
Calculate simple and discounted payback period for HVAC upgrades such as insulation, windows, new equipment, HRV, and heat pumps.
Calculate monthly demand charges and savings from load shifting, equipment staging, and demand response participation.
Calculate power factor penalty charges and the capacitor bank size needed for correction, with full payback analysis.
Find current provincial and utility rebate programs for heat pumps, insulation, windows, and water heaters, with links to apply. The federal Greener Homes grant is closed.
Calculate SEER and SEER2 ratings, convert between SEER and SEER2, and estimate annual cooling energy consumption and cost.
Estimate solar PV generation, offset, and payback for your Canadian city, roof orientation, and system size.
Calculate building thermal storage capacity, time constant, and peak demand reduction from pre-cooling strategies.
Analyze monthly gas and electricity bills against expected consumption from load calculations and degree days.
Calculate VFD energy savings for pumps and fans using the cube law based on your actual annual load profile.
Model total annual home energy use across heating, cooling, water heating, appliances, and lighting with EUI and GHG breakdown.
Calculate heat loss reduction, yearly fuel savings, and payback from upgrading window glazing, using U-factor, window area, and heating degree days.
Estimate combined annual energy savings from multiple home efficiency upgrades: HVAC equipment, insulation, windows, and smart thermostats.
Verify if HVAC equipment meets Energy Star certification requirements for Canada and the US, across furnaces, AC, heat pumps, and water heaters.
Compare annual heating cost between a heat pump and gas furnace for your climate, and model the dual-fuel switchover temperature and breakeven point.
Calculate heat loss reduction and annual energy savings from upgrading attic or wall insulation R-value for your Canadian climate zone.
Understanding HVAC Energy Efficiency Ratings
Space heating and cooling account for about 63% of the energy Canadian homes use, according to Natural Resources Canada's Energy Fact Book (60% heating and 3% cooling in 2021). Choosing an efficiency level, and weighing first cost against operating cost, is therefore the biggest energy decision most homeowners and contractors make. The 40 calculators on this page cover equipment ratings, upgrade payback, utility bills and envelope performance.
The Core Efficiency Ratings Explained
SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2) measures cooling efficiency over a full season under updated, more realistic test conditions. Minimum 13.4 SEER2 applies to new residential central air conditioners in most of Canada, with higher ratings indicating better efficiency. Use the SEER2 calculator to estimate annual cooling costs from a specific rating.
AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) measures furnace heating efficiency as a percentage of fuel energy converted to usable heat. Since July 2019, the federal Energy Efficiency Regulations have required new residential gas furnaces to reach at least 95% AFUE, with narrow exceptions such as space-constrained through-the-wall units (90%), outdoor units (78%), relocatable buildings and replacement non-condensing furnaces (80%). Many existing homes still run 80% to 92% furnaces. The AFUE calculator converts a rating into annual heating cost.
HSPF2 (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor 2) measures heat pump heating efficiency across a full season. A higher HSPF2 means more heat delivered per dollar of electricity consumed. See the HSPF2 calculator for a full seasonal cost estimate.
COP (Coefficient of Performance) is an instantaneous efficiency ratio at one specific operating condition rather than a seasonal average. A COP of 3.0 means 3 units of heat delivered per unit of electricity consumed. The heat pump COP calculator accounts for how this ratio changes across a Canadian heating season as outdoor temperature drops.
Heat Pump Economics in Canada
Electricity and natural gas prices differ widely between provinces, so the economics of a heat pump versus a gas furnace vary a lot. Start by sizing the system to your design load with the heat pump sizing calculator. The heat pump vs gas calculator then uses your utility rates and climate to compare annual cost, and the payback period calculator shows when the higher upfront cost breaks even. The rebate calculator lists current provincial and utility programs that can shorten that payback. The federal Canada Greener Homes grant and loan are closed to new applicants.
Beyond Equipment Ratings: Envelope and Behaviour
Equipment efficiency is only part of the picture. Envelope performance, measured with the blower door calculator and air leakage calculator, often offers a larger and cheaper saving than an equipment swap, particularly in older housing. To turn a blower door result into a heating load, use the infiltration load calculator. The energy audit calculator ties equipment, envelope and controls into one prioritized upgrade list.
Frequently Asked Questions
SEER2 is an updated cooling efficiency test standard that uses higher external static pressure during testing, producing results closer to real-world installed conditions than the older SEER standard. A SEER2 rating is typically 4-5% lower than the equivalent SEER rating for the same physical equipment, since the more realistic test conditions reduce the resulting number, not because the equipment itself is less efficient. As of 2023, SEER2 is the current standard used for new equipment ratings in North America. Use the SEER / SEER2 calculator to convert between the two.
Since July 3, 2019, Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations have required new residential gas furnaces to reach at least 95% AFUE, which in practice means condensing technology. Narrow exceptions exist, including 90% for space-constrained through-the-wall units, 78% for outdoor units, and 80% for relocatable buildings and replacement non-condensing furnaces. The best models reach 96-98% AFUE. Provincial rules and programs can differ, so check with your utility before you buy. The AFUE calculator helps quantify the savings between these efficiency tiers.
A furnace's AFUE rating is always below 100%, since it measures how much of the fuel's chemical energy is converted to usable heat, with some energy inevitably lost. A heat pump's HSPF2 or COP rating instead measures how much heat is moved rather than generated, allowing efficiency ratings well above 100% in equivalent terms, since a heat pump moves multiple units of heat energy for every unit of electrical energy consumed rather than converting electricity directly into heat. This fundamental difference is why heat pumps can be far more efficient than even the highest-AFUE gas furnace, particularly in moderate climates. Compare both directly with the heat pump vs gas calculator.
Payback depends on your local electricity and gas rates, your climate's heating load, the specific equipment efficiency being compared, and any available rebates. Provinces with lower electricity rates and higher gas rates tend to favour faster heat pump payback, while the reverse can extend payback significantly. Use the heat pump vs gas calculator alongside the payback period calculator and rebate calculator together for a complete picture specific to your location and utility rates.