Home energy audits in Kamloops

Of Kamloops's 32,450 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 11% were built before 1961 and 62% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. The typical Kamloops house dates from 1971–1980, and an evaluation is how you find out what that means for yours: the blower door measures air leakage, the advisor inspects the attic, walls, basement, windows and heating system, and the report ranks upgrades by what they'd save.

Kamloops gets about 3,365 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 −17.8°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Kamloops in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That's about 14% less heating demand than the middle of the 70 cities we cover. A moderate heating season with warm summers: fixes should cut heating bills and keep the house cool.

Kamloops summers are hot, so the air sealing and insulation that cut heating bills also keep the house cooler, and a heat pump can do the cooling more efficiently than an old air conditioner. Wildfire smoke reaches Kamloops 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.

In the Kamloops area, 83% of households heat mainly with a forced-air furnace; natural gas is the main heating energy for 90% of households (Statistics Canada, 2023). The heating system on the report shapes the recommendations: a forced-air furnace invites a ducted heat pump, electric baseboards a ductless one.

There's no provincial price list; the City of Nanaimo quotes $400–$500 as typical for an existing home. Several B.C. municipalities subsidize evaluations for their residents (see local programs below).

• Retrofit Assist discounted EnerGuide evaluation: For a limited time, Retrofit Assist participants in Kamloops can book an EnerGuide evaluation for $99 + tax ('a savings of $500 or more'), while subsidies last. Kamloops page updated Jan 2026. Details

Most providers quote the initial (pre-upgrade) and follow-up (post-upgrade) visits separately. Rebate programs that pay on measured improvement need both, so ask for the combined price.

• Initial evaluation, about 2–3 hours. The advisor measures and inspects the house and runs the blower door test.
• Report and EnerGuide rating. You get the home's energy rating in gigajoules per year and a list of recommended upgrades with estimated savings.
• Do the work. Most rebate programs only count upgrades done after the initial evaluation.
• Follow-up evaluation. A second visit measures the improvement, which is what most rebates pay on.

Read the full guide to home energy audits.