Home energy audits in Oakridge, London

What Oakridge homes are made of

Most of Oakridge was built from the 1950s to the 1970s: single-storey ranches and bungalows. Original batts were thin by today's standards, attics often started around R-10, and basements were left bare. Many owners are now finishing those basements — the moment an audit pays off most, before the drywall goes up.

What an audit usually finds here

• Attics far below today's target. Topping up toward R-50 is typically the fastest payback in the house.
• Rim joists and top plates leaking air. The blower door shows these clearly; sealing them is cheap.
• Uninsulated basement walls in homes where the lower level is becoming living space.
• Aging mid-efficiency furnaces facing the furnace, hybrid or heat pump decision.
• Aluminum wiring in some later builds — worth flagging before any insulation work.

Tests to ask for

• The blower door test (standard in every EnerGuide assessment) with a thermal camera walk-through.
• An attic inspection that checks for vermiculite — common in attics insulated before 1990 — before anyone disturbs it.
• A combustion safety check if you still have a naturally vented water heater or older furnace and plan to air-seal.
• A heat-loss calculation before replacing the furnace — small bungalows are often sold oversized equipment.

The rebates that fit

Oakridge is textbook territory for Ontario's Home Renovation Savings assessment path: attic insulation (up to $1,500), air sealing ($200–$250) and basement insulation (up to $2,300) are two- and three-upgrade combinations that unlock the $600 assessment rebate, and three or more add a $500 bonus. Gas-heated homes are capped at $5,000 in total. Book the assessments through one of the program's seven approved service organizations, and have the follow-up done by December 31, 2026 — the program is only funded through 2026.

Replacing the furnace? The no-assessment stream pays up to $2,000 for an air-source heat pump in a gas-heated home, or up to $7,500 if you heat with electricity, oil or propane — details here.