British Columbia leads the nation in energy efficiency, ranking first overall with a score of 54 points out of 100.

The province’s success in the Scorecard is largely due to its strong policies in high-performance building codes, transportation electrification and the CleanBC climate plan, which led to several nation-leading energy efficiency policies. The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 includes a proposed requirement for energy efficiency labelling for all home sales, which would increase transparency, encourage retrofits, and help homeowners understand energy costs and carbon impacts.

B.C. has proposed groundbreaking regulations to support decarbonization in buildings, requiring all new space and water heating systems to be 100 per cent efficient. The federal government should follow suit by adopting similar standards in a modernized Energy Efficiency Act.

While B.C. excels in many areas, there is an opportunity to do more on utility-led energy efficiency programs. The province could facilitate this with a more decisive direction on prioritizing energy efficiency in resource planning, similar to leading U.S. states like Massachusetts or Oregon. This would encourage utilities to pursue all available energy efficiency options, which could yield additional cost savings.