EnerGuide for New Houses Code of Ethics

All service organizations, energy advisors, builders and influencers who work with EnerGuide for New Houses agree to abide by this Code of Ethics. All individuals and organizations associated with EnerGuide for New Houses shall follow this Code of Ethics by:

1. Exercising their duties with integrity, fairness and impartiality.
   
   
2. Upholding, maintaining and, wherever possible, improving the professional integrity, reputation and practice of the EnerGuide for New Houses service. Marketing approaches shall not use the EnerGuide for New Houses service to imply any endorsement of an organization's particular product or service.
   
   
3. Avoiding any apparent conflict of interest and avoiding association with any enterprise of questionable character, for example:
   
   
   • service organizations, energy advisors and influencers are required to immediately disclose any and all activities that may be considered to be in real or perceived conflict with the mandate and objectives of EnerGuide for New Houses;
     
     
   • in the event that Natural Resources Canada decides that remedial action is necessary to remove such conflict, the service organization, energy advisor or influencer will be required to take such action (which may include divestiture of certain assets or ceasing to perform certain activities) prior to entering into, or continuing, any relationship with Natural Resources Canada as it relates to EnerGuide for New Houses; and
     
     
   • neither accepting nor offering commissions or allowances directly from or to other parties dealing with a client in connection with an energy efficiency evaluation without the written approval of the client or his or her representative.
     
     
4. Basing all statements made in the context of the EnerGuide for New Houses service on facts supported by the energy efficiency evaluation or by research performed by a recognized professional source.
   
   
5. Not collecting any personal information other than that required for the EnerGuide for New Houses Retrofit Initiative and not disclosing information from any EnerGuide for New Houses evaluation except as required for quality assurance.
   
   
   • Disclosure to a third party for another purpose related to EnerGuide for New Houses is permitted where such disclosure is advantageous to the customer, provided that the customer's informed and written consent is obtained prior to the disclosure.
     
     
6. EnerGuide for New Houses builders (builders who arrange for evaluations for houses they build) shall maintain their arm's length relationship with the homebuyer by not acting as energy advisors in the "as built" evaluation of homes they have built.