A recent change to the Ontario Building Code will require all furnaces installed in new-construction homes to be equipped with an electronically commutated motor (ECM). According to the code, the change will apply “to construction for which a permit has been applied for after Dec. 31, 2014.”

The changeover to the more efficient motors is designed to save electricity, and when paired with Canada’s three-year-old 90 percent AFUE minimum standard for gas furnaces, the energy savings could be significant for the province.