Canadian Government Expands Energy Efficiency Regulations with Amendment 18

SG 071/25

The Canadian government releases amendment to the Canadian Energy Efficiency Regulations, expanding the scope of currently regulated products and adding new products.

On March 20, 2025, the government published the “Regulations Amending the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 (Amendment 18): SOR/2025-110” in the Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 8. This amendment revises testing and energy efficiency requirements for currently regulated energy-using products and adds several new product types.

In addition, the Amendment, “expands the use of ambulatory incorporation by reference, to US standards already in force or to NRCan technical standards documents that reproduce US standards; and makes adjustments to use Ministerial Regulations for additional energy-using products to maintain harmonization in the future, as appropriate.”

Key updates

Amendment 18 adds several product categories to the Regulations, “with associated requirements for energy efficiency standards, testing standards, verification, and provision of information.”

These include:

• Air compressors – Requirements apply to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026
• Faucets – Requirements apply to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026
• Line voltage thermostats – Applies to wall-mounted thermostats and two-component thermostats manufactured on or after July 1, 2026, and to built-in thermostats manufactured on or after July 1, 2027
• Pool pumps – Requirements apply to products manufactured on or after January 1, 2026
• Showerheads – Requirements apply to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026

The Amendment also, “expands the scope of some currently regulated products and introduces or updates energy efficiency and testing standards.”

These products include:

• Room air conditioners (Division 2, Subdivision A)
• Large air conditioners (Division 2, Subdivision B)
• Single package central air conditioners (Division 2, Subdivision D)
• Split system central air conditioners (Division 2, Subdivision F)
• Portable air conditioners (Division 2, Subdivision I)
• Large heat pumps (Division 3, Subdivision C)
• Single package central heat pumps (Division 3, Subdivision E)
• Split system central heat pumps (Division 3, Subdivision G)
• Gas furnaces (Division 4, Subdivision A)
• Electric water heaters (Division 6, Subdivision A)
• Gas-fired storage water heaters (Division 6, Subdivision B)
• Oil-fired water heaters (Division 6, Subdivision C)
• Gas-fired instantaneous water heaters (Division 6, Subdivision D)
• General service lamps (Division 7, Subdivision B)

The amendment also “updates the list of energy-using products to ensure the Minister can exercise the Ministerial Regulations authority to maintain harmonization of requirements with another jurisdiction.”

These products include:

• Air compressors
• Faucets
• Line voltage thermostats
• Pool pumps
• Showerheads

Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 159, Number 8: Regulations Amending the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 (Amendment 18)

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