How the Ratings on the EnerGuide Label Are Established
Major electrical household appliances and room air conditioners sold in Canada must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and are required to display an EnerGuide label. Information on the EnerGuide label is the result of extensive testing, based on Canadian Standards Association (CSA) test procedures. The EnerGuide energy consumption rating is an average measure of how much energy individual appliances typically consume when used at different temperature and/or speed settings.
With standardized test procedures, all appliances in Canada are tested according to the same criteria. This means that the EnerGuide rating is comparable from one label to another within the same class of products.
Testing determines how much energy an appliance would use under average Canadian household conditions. It also ensures that the appliance meets the minimum energy efficiency performance levels set out by Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations.
The standards for testing are usually developed through the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) consensus process. Participants in this process include manufacturers, federal and provincial/territorial energy efficiency regulators, electric utilities and consumer representatives who are knowledgeable in the product area.
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Did You Know?
The EnerGuide label shows the EnerGuide rating, which is measured by the manufacturer (or testing body) using common (consistent) testing procedures. A recognized national standards agency establishes these procedures. |
The governments of Canada and the United States work together to ensure that standards and testing procedures are harmonized in both countries. For all appliances that carry the EnerGuide label, test procedures are essentially the same or similar in Canada and US.
Three Testing Options
Manufacturers can choose to test products in one of three ways:
- At the manufacturer's testing facility
- At an independent testing facility, such as CSA International, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Intertek Testing Services Inc., Intertek Testing Services Ltd. or the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute
- By a certification organization that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) recognizes
In Canada, testing facilities for options 1 and 2 must be approved by an NRCan-recognized certification organization that is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and recognized by NRCan as an administrator of an energy performance verification program.
Canadian and American Standards
You may see both the black-and-white Canadian label and the black-and-yellow American label on new major appliances. The American label may be removed before a new appliance is sold at retail locations or leased in Canada. The Canadian EnerGuide and American EnergyGuide labels can be printed back to back on a hang-tag or side by side. Canada and the United States usually use similar test methods to determine the energy rating. However, the range on the scale may differ because of differences, for example, in the test procedure.
New major household appliances and room air conditioners must carry the Canadian EnerGuide label before they are first leased or sold at retail stores. Removing or tampering with the label is against the law.