Applying Behavioural Science to Optimize Home Energy Label Design

The EnerGuide home labelling program, administered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is a key federal tool for improving residential energy efficiency. The program aims to help Canadians understand home energy performance and make informed decisions when buying, selling, or renovating. While EnerGuide includes a comprehensive home assessment, research and user feedback indicate that the label contains some information that can be hard to interpret or ineffective for decision making. Research is needed to improve communication of energy performance via the label in ways that are accessible and motivating for the average Canadian.

In collaboration with NRCan’s Home Energy and Adaptation Labelling team, we are conducting a multi phase behavioural science research program to inform home energy label design. Since 2024, this work has included a literature review, focus groups, a national survey of 1,400 Canadians (data collected Nov-Dec 2024), and a combined survey experiment and discrete choice experiment of over 4,000 Canadians (data collected Feb-Mar 2025). Findings show that Canadians are especially interested in and motivated by cost related information, including annual operating costs, potential savings from upgrades, and the cost of retrofits. They also value guidance on retrofit options and steps they can take to improve their home. While many Canadians express interest in their home’s carbon footprint, GHG emissions are often difficult to interpret and have limited influence on label utility. This research will help inform policies and programs to further home energy labelling, including potential updates to the EnerGuide label for homes.

For further information on our research contact iiu-uii@pco-bcp.gc.ca.