How Regina is built
- Before 1961 22%
- 1961–1990 48%
- 1991–2000 6%
- 2001 or later 24%
Why air leakage matters in Regina
Regina gets about 5,597 heating degree-days a year, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −32.4°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Regina International in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That's the 5th-highest heating demand of the 70 cities we cover. Cold winters: heating is the biggest energy cost, so stopping leaks and insulating come first.
Regina also gets hot spells and heat waves, so plan how the house will stay cool: air sealing, attic insulation and shading help, and a heat pump adds efficient cooling. Wildfire smoke reaches Regina in some summers. The Government of Canada's advice is to keep windows and doors closed, limit exhaust fans and use the best filter your system can handle, so ask the advisor what your furnace or HRV can take.
Of Regina's 69,170 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 22% were built before 1961 and 70% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses usually test leakier than newer ones, and an EnerGuide report compares your result with homes of the same era, so you can see whether your house is typical or a problem.
After you seal: two checks
- Combustion safety. In the Regina area, the main heating energy is natural gas for 70% of households. A tighter house changes how fuel-burning appliances vent, so the spillage check should be repeated after serious air sealing. Combustion safety testing in Regina
- Radon. Sealing shifts the pressure balance between the house and the soil. Health Canada's 2012 survey found 25.5% of 94 homes tested in the Regina Qu'Appelle Regional Health Authority health region above the guideline. The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports 46.6% (1 in 2) of houses at or above the guideline for the Regina, SK (Regina CMA) metro area. Test before and after big air-sealing jobs. Radon testing in Regina
What it costs in Regina
A blower door test is part of every EnerGuide evaluation rather than a separate purchase. There's no provincial rebate; the City of Saskatoon quotes $500–$600 as typical for the initial EnerGuide evaluation and $300–$400 for the follow-up.
How the test works
- A calibrated fan is fitted into an exterior door and pulls air out until the house is at 50 pascals, the standard test pressure.
- The result is air changes per hour at 50 Pa (ACH50): how many times an hour the whole volume of air would leak out and be replaced at that pressure.
- While the fan runs, you and the advisor walk the house and feel for leaks at the attic hatch, rim joists, pot lights, trim and plumbing and wiring penetrations.
- A second test after the work shows what changed, and it is what most rebates pay on.
Prairies Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
What this means in Regina’s climate
Long, very cold, very dry winters: air sealing, radon testing and humidity balance lead.
Why it matters here: Measures leakage and, with a thermal scan, pinpoints attic bypasses and rim joist and window leaks.
Best timing: Any season; most revealing with a thermal scan on a cold, calm day.
- Seal the top and bottom of the house. In deep cold, warm air rises and escapes through attic leaks while cold air is pulled in down low. Sealing both saves heat and helps prevent attic frost and ice dams. Ask: Ask the registered energy advisor to find attic bypasses, rim joist gaps and basement penetrations during the blower door test.
- Insulate the basement and rim joists. Basements can account for about 20% of a home's heat loss. Check for cracks and water entry first; Manitoba's clay soils cracked some foundations during the 2021 drought. Ask: Ask whether the basement is dry enough to insulate from inside, and how much air leaks at the rim joist.
What else homes in Regina need →
Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026
- National Building Code of Canada 2020, climate data (NRC)
- Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (ECCC)
- Keeping the Heat In (NRCan)
- Air-Source Heat Pump Sizing and Selection Guide (NRCan)
- Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump (NRCan)
- Heat pumps, Canada Greener Homes (NRCan)
- Gas and heat pump hybrid systems (NRCan)
- Primary heating systems by household, Table 38-10-0286-01 (Statistics Canada)
- Electricity price comparison, April 2025 (Hydro-Québec)
- 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure
- Guide for Radon Measurements in Homes (Health Canada)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2021 (ECCC)
- Canada's most impactful weather stories of 2024 (ECCC)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2025 (ECCC)
- Conditions for thermal scans, ASTM C1060 summary (Cx Associates)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2018 (ECCC)
NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Regina
A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. A blower door test is part of every EnerGuide evaluation, so any organization below can do one in Regina. Ask to walk the house with the advisor while the fan runs.
- Buildingexpert
- Canada Energy Savings Comfort and Retrofit Strategies
- Energy Werx Profile
- Green Think
- NRG Inspections and Consulting
- Sensible Home Inspections
- Sun Ridge Residential
- The Energuy Profile
- CoEfficient Building Science
- EnerQuality
- Isle Energy Consulting
- EnerSolution Profile
Blower door test in Regina: common questions
Where can I get a blower door test in Regina?
Book an EnerGuide evaluation with any of the 12 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Regina; the blower door test is part of every evaluation.
How much does a blower door test cost in Regina?
It is included in an EnerGuide evaluation. There's no provincial rebate; the City of Saskatoon quotes $500–$600 as typical for the initial EnerGuide evaluation and $300–$400 for the follow-up.
What is a good blower door result?
Lower is better. Your EnerGuide report compares your air changes per hour at 50 Pa with homes of the same era, which is more useful than a single target number.
Does air sealing affect radon?
It can. Tightening a house changes the pressure difference with the soil, so test for radon before and after major air sealing.