Energy efficiency figures explained
Last updated 3 September 2026
Some products in Boreal show an energy figure. This page explains what that number is, what it is not, and where it came from — because a number without its source is not much use to anyone.
The short version
When we show an energy figure, it is a measurement published by the manufacturer or a certification programme, reproduced as-is. We do not calculate it, adjust it, or convert it into a score of our own. Every figure is displayed next to the name of the source it came from.
Most products in our catalogue show no energy figure at all. That is normal, and it is explained below — it does not mean the product is inefficient, and it does not mean we failed to look.
Energy used is not the same as efficiency
This distinction matters more than it sounds, and getting it wrong is the most common way energy information misleads people.
Efficiency is how much useful output you get per unit of energy. Consumption is simply how much energy something uses. A 15-watt bulb uses more electricity than a 9-watt bulb, but if it produces twice the light it is the more efficient of the two. Ranking bulbs by wattage alone would put the dimmest one first. The same trap applies to televisions, where a large screen will always draw more power than a small one regardless of how well either performs.
This is why we store the unit alongside every figure rather than reducing everything to one number, and why we never compare a figure in one unit against a figure in another.
The figures we show
kWh/yrAnnual energy use
Electricity used over a year of typical use, measured under a standard test. A lower number is better.
WPower draw
Power drawn while the device is actively running. A lower number is better.
W idleStandby draw
Power drawn while idle. For a device that is never switched off, this is the figure that shows up on your bill. A lower number is better.
lm/WEfficacy
Light produced per watt consumed. Higher is better — unlike wattage alone, this does not penalise a brighter bulb. A higher number is better.
Standby draw is the one worth paying attention to in a smart home. A device that is never switched off spends nearly all its life idle, so a plug or hub drawing a watt around the clock uses roughly nine kilowatt-hours a year doing nothing in particular. Multiply that by every device in the house and it stops being a rounding error.
Which categories have figures
Coverage is uneven, and the reason is structural rather than something we can fix by looking harder. Two things have to line up: a certification programme has to exist for the product type, and we have to actually stock products it covers.
Right now that happens in two places — connected thermostats and room air purifiers. No programme currently certifies smart bulbs, plugs, hubs or cameras, so there is no published dataset to draw on. And some of our category names are broader than the programmes behind them: what we file under “TVs” is streaming devices rather than televisions, and under “large appliances” is hubs and smart displays rather than the ovens and refrigerators EnerGuide covers. In both cases the programme is real and we track it; it just does not describe anything on our shelves yet.
| Category | Typical figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature control | Standby draw | ENERGY STAR certified connected thermostats |
| Other appliances | Annual energy use, for air purifiers | ENERGY STAR certified room air cleaners |
| Large appliances | None today | The hubs and displays we stock are not what EnerGuide covers |
| TVs | None | Streaming devices, not televisions — no programme certifies them |
| Lights | Usually none | Manufacturer specification, when published |
| Sounds and hubs | Usually none | Manufacturer specification, when published |
| Home security | Usually none | Manufacturer specification, when published |
| Smart plugs | Usually none | Manufacturer specification, when published |
Our sources
- NRCan EnerGuide. Natural Resources Canada requires energy consumption to be reported for major appliances sold in Canada, and covers every model rather than only the efficient ones — which would make it the most complete source available to us. We track it, but it currently backs no figure in our catalogue: EnerGuide covers ovens, refrigerators and washers, and we do not yet stock any.
- ENERGY STAR. Certified product data, filtered to models marked as available in the Canadian market. Figures are measured under a standard test procedure. Only certified models appear, so an absent figure says nothing about a product either way.
- Manufacturer specifications. Where a manufacturer publishes a figure and no certification data exists, we may record it and name the manufacturer as the source.
How sorting works
Choosing “Energy: most efficient” in the product list ranks products that have a figure, in the correct direction for that figure — lowest consumption first, or highest efficacy first, depending on the unit.
Products with no figure are listed after the ones that have a figure. They are never treated as though they used zero energy, which would put every unmeasured product at the top. Where two products cannot be meaningfully compared because their figures use different units, we keep them apart rather than inventing a ranking between them.
What we deliberately do not do
- We do not publish a Boreal energy score, rating or grade. We have not tested these products, so any score would be our opinion dressed up as a measurement.
- We do not put “eco”, “green” or “efficient” badges on products. A measured number and its source lets you judge; a badge asks you to take our word for it.
- We do not estimate what a product will cost you to run. That depends on your electricity rate and how you actually use the device, and a confident-looking dollar figure would hide both.
If a figure looks wrong
Manufacturers revise specifications, and certification data is republished on its own schedule. If a number here disagrees with what you see on the product itself, trust the product and let us know so we can correct the catalogue.