Energy & Water Reporting & Benchmarking (EWRB)

Energy & Water Reporting & Benchmarking (EWRB): annual energy and water benchmarking for large ontario buildings via energy star portfolio manager, with five-year independent verification.

Jurisdiction
Status
active
Category
First deadline
July 1 annually (previous calendar year's energy and water data)
Who must comply
Privately owned commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings in Ontario, Canada of at least 50,000 square feet (about 4,645 m2), including offices, retail, hotels, warehouses, and multi-unit residential buildings of 10 or more units. Federal, provincial, and municipal buildings are excluded. Toronto adds requirements for buildings 10,000 square feet and larger starting 2026.
Penalties
In Ontario, administrative monetary penalties under the Electricity Act of up to C$10,000 per day for continued non-compliance. In Toronto, fines up to C$100,000 plus potential court costs and additional orders under Municipal Code Chapter 367.

What it is

Ontario's Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) initiative mandates annual reporting of energy and water usage for large buildings, aiming to improve transparency and drive emissions reductions across the province's built environment.

Buildings report through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, capturing energy consumption, water usage, energy use intensity, and calculated Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, so that performance can be benchmarked across the sector.

Who must comply

The rule applies to privately owned commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings in Ontario of at least 50,000 square feet, including offices, retail spaces, hotels, warehouses, and multi-unit residential buildings with 10 or more units. Federal, provincial, and municipal buildings are subject to separate regulations. Toronto is extending obligations to buildings of 10,000 square feet or more from 2026.

What you must disclose

Buildings must report via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, disclosing property type and physical characteristics, total floor area and occupant numbers, energy consumption (electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district energy, etc.), indoor and outdoor water usage, ENERGY STAR score where applicable, Energy Use Intensity, and calculated Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. Every five years the data must be verified by a licensed architect, Certified Energy Manager, Licensed Professional Engineer, or Certified Measurement and Verification Professional following recognized M&V protocols.

Timeline

Ontario introduced EWRB in 2017 and phased it in by 2023, with reporting based on 2023 data onward. The annual reporting deadline is July 1 of each year for the previous calendar year's energy and water data.

Submitted data must be independently verified every five years; the first verification cycle was completed in 2023-2024, with the next beginning in 2028. Toronto is expanding requirements to buildings of 10,000 square feet and larger starting in 2026.

Stay ahead of this regulation.

Book a strategy call. We'll map what this regulation means for your business and the fastest path to compliance.