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When Leon Slabbert and Kate Dunn relocated this summer from Britain to Ottawa, which ranks just behind Mongolia's Ulan Bator as the world's coldest capital, they bought themselves a drafty six-bedroom home.

So it didn't take the promise of government rebates to persuade them it would be a good idea to have an energy audit to review the home's heating, sealing and insulation.

But the cash incentives didn't hurt. They hired a certified energy inspector in August to give their home a top-to-bottom appraisal, the initial step required to qualify for federal grants - matched by Ontario - for the resulting work.

Mr. Slabbert and Ms. Dunn are among a growing number of Canadians getting their homes energy audited, now that the federal government has reinstituted a program that provides rebates for energy-saving upgrades as part of its environmental effort.

Mr. Slabbert, who trained as an architect, says he had a good idea what was needed to make the house less sieve-like, but wanted a more scientific assessment of where he would get the most bang for his buck.

And Ms. Dunn said she was motivated by more than improved comfort and lower energy bills. "I had very strong climate-change reasons for getting the audit," she said.

The couple signed up for the federal government's ecoEnergy Retrofit program, which in conjunction with several provincial plans offers grants for energy-saving upgrades.

After cancelling a similar program begun under the previous, Liberal government, the Conservatives relaunched the home energy audit program last spring as part of an effort to improve the country's energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

The federal grants range from a major portion of the upgrade - $600 for an $1,800 insulation job, for example - to a far more modest percentage - $30 per window for a project that can cost $20,000. Most provinces also provide grants; Ontario matches the federal benefit dollar-for-dollar, resulting in a $1,200 grant for that $1,800 insulation job.

Providers of audit services say business is booming across the country, and they are constantly training new auditors to keep up with the demand.

But is the effort worth it, for the climate or for homeowners?

Energy experts level two main criticisms at this type of program. Some say the government is paying for upgrades that individuals would have done without a grant, and that homeowners are encouraged to spend thousands of dollars for a modest payoff in terms of lower energy bills.

The program offers benefits that are broader than a simple subsidy for one energy-saving upgrade project, said Peter Moffatt, president of Building Insight Technologies Inc., which provides energy audits under the name HomePerformance.

"The audit is not about single measures," Mr. Moffatt said. "It's about your opportunity to do a complete retrofit. ... People can learn about how their whole house currently works and all the problems that exist in the house."

The second concern is that the audit - which is based on federal government software - paints with a fairly broad brush. It assumes standard patterns of use - that you keep your home at a certain temperature, for example - and can miss particular features in a home.

Mr. Slabbert and Ms. Dunn got some unexpected tips from their inspection.

Earlier this fall, Nick Sherbourne, an evaluator with AmeriSpec Canada, went through his routine at their west-end Ottawa home, which was built in 1964 and had original doors and windows. He checked for insulation in the attic, in the walls and in the basement; examined the doors and windows; noted the efficiency rating of the furnace and water heater, and even checked the flush capacity of the toilets.

After making his notes, Mr. Sherbourne had the homeowners shut all their windows and doors, then set up a fan-like blower at the front door to measure how leaky the house was.

Mr. Sherbourne said he does his best to ensure the homeowners know exactly what to expect by going over the process with them before he arrives for the audit.

A few weeks later, Mr. Slabbert and Ms. Dunn received a detailed report laying out recommended upgrades, broadly graded by anticipated energy savings.

Given the poor state of their windows and doors, they had expected the report to focus on replacement of those items. Instead, it highlighted the need for greater insulation in the attic and basement. Replacement of windows and doors was still recommended, but further down the list.

In total, the audit suggested the homeowners could reduce the energy used to heat their home by 20 per cent if they followed all the recommendations. By doing so, the couple and their five-year-old daughter would also reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 6.1 tonnes per year.

(By way of comparison, the previous Liberal government urged Canadians to reduce their emissions by one tonne annually for each person in the household.)

Mr. Slabbert acknowledged he is getting government grant money for work he probably would have undertaken in any case, but he said the audit and incentives allow him to spend on the most effective upgrades first.

The program has an 18-month deadline between the audit and filing for the grant, which Mr. Slabbert said is spurring him to do the work more quickly.

The couple said they plan to replace windows and doors - at a cost of more than $20,000 - but realize they won't recoup that investment through lower energy bills. The new windows and doors will add to the comfort and attractiveness of their home, they said, and improve its eventual resale value.

In the meantime, Mr. Slabbert is proceeding in the basement, where he expects to spend $1,650 - doing much of the work himself - but can get up to $1,200 back.

He has already spent $1,800 to add insulation in the attic, but will get $1,200 of that back - $600 each from Ottawa and Ontario.

"I felt the difference the next morning," he said.

Audit 101

Consumers should understand the limits of the audit - what it does and does not offer - before signing up, said Peter Moffatt, president of audit provider Building Insight Technologies Inc.

The previous incentive program offered by the Liberal government gave a more precise calculation of how much energy savings the homeowner might expect from each upgrade - and the resulting payback on their investment.

But homeowners complained the forms were too complicated, and they often didn't find out how much they would save until after the work was done and a second audit had been performed to verify the energy savings.

Under the new version, the grants are not based on how much energy you save but on the upgrade itself, although a follow-up audit is still required to verify that the work has actually been done.

Shawn McCarthy

Upgrade dollars

The following federal grants are available for eligible work or

upgrades in your home. (Ontario offers matching provincial grants; other provinces also offer grants.)

Install a qualified-brand gas furnace with at least 90 per cent

annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) $300

Install a qualified-brand gas

furnace with at least 92 per cent AFUE and a variable-speed

motor $500

Install a qualified ground- or water-source heat pump $3,500

Replace wood-burning stove

with a model that meets federal standards $300

Install a heat recovery ventilator certified by the Home Ventilating

Institute $300

Replace central air conditioner with a unit that is federally

certified $200

Install a solar hot water

system that meets federal

standards $500

Replace domestic hot water

heater with a high-efficiency

condensing water heater $300

Add R-40 insulation in the attic:

from R-12 $400

from R-25 $200

Replace windows and skylights with models that are federally certified $30 (per window)

Replace exterior door with

federally certified model $30

Source: Natural Resources

Canada