A pre-launch checklist for boiler spec sheets, claims and dealer kits

1. Efficiency figures and model lists

Federal rules shape what you can say about efficiency, so start there.

Natural Resources Canada keeps a page for each regulated boiler category. Its page on household gas boilers covers natural gas and propane boilers with an input rate below 87.92 kW (300,000 Btu/h) and refers to testing under CAN/CSA-P.2-13. It sets a minimum AFUE of 90% for hot-water models manufactured on or after July 1, 2023, and 82% for low-pressure steam models manufactured on or after January 15, 2021. The commercial gas boilers page covers inputs from 87.92 kW up to 2,930.71 kW for units manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, with thermal or combustion efficiency thresholds by size. Separate pages cover oil-fired household boilers and electric boilers.

The commercial page also lists a verification mark from a certification body or province on the product or package, and an energy efficiency report submitted through NRCan's CREED database.

Checklist:

• ☐ Every efficiency figure in marketing matches the figure in the filed report for that exact model.
• ☐ Model lists include only models whose federal steps your team has confirmed as complete.
• ☐ Spec sheets name the test basis the way your documents do, not a rounded marketing version.
• ☐ Your sales team knows which page applies to each product family.

2. Provincial authorities and launch dates

Boilers and pressure equipment are overseen province by province. Marketing should not announce availability in a province before your advisors have confirmed what that province requires.

Checklist:

• ☐ Each province on the launch list has a named authority and a linked official page; see our regulatory mapping service.
• ☐ No "now available in" message goes out before the province's gate is cleared in your launch sequence.
• ☐ Dealer locator pages for a province go live only when the province is open.

3. French product information for Quebec

The OQLF's page on trademarks on products says information on a product, its packaging and accompanying documents, including instructions and warranty certificates, must be in French, with any other language no more prominent. Since June 1, 2025, generic and descriptive terms must also appear in French, while a recognized trademark may stay in another language. The page also says display stands are treated as commercial advertising.

Checklist:

• ☐ Manuals, warranty certificates and packaging text exist in French for every model sold in Quebec (flag technical documents for your own qualified review).
• ☐ Generic and descriptive terms in product names have French equivalents.
• ☐ Trade-show panels and counter displays planned for Quebec are French-predominant.
• ☐ Dealer kits for Quebec are French-first. See Quebec French readiness.

4. Environmental and efficiency claims

"High efficiency", "eco", "low emissions" and similar phrases are environmental claims. The Competition Bureau's page on environmental claims and greenwashing says the Competition Act bars environmental benefit claims about products made without adequate and proper testing. It also notes that legislation receiving Royal Assent on March 26, 2026 removed the requirement for an internationally recognized methodology, and that the Bureau plans to update its guidance.

Checklist:

• ☐ Every environmental claim names what it means (for example a specific efficiency figure) and links to the document behind it.
• ☐ No comparative claim ("more efficient than") appears without a documented comparison.
• ☐ Savings examples state their assumptions clearly.
• ☐ Your advisors have reviewed claim wording before national use.

5. Dealer email and text campaigns

If you give dealers email or text templates, Canada's anti-spam law applies to whoever sends them. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's CASL consent page explains that commercial messages need express or implied consent, sender identification with valid contact details, and an unsubscribe mechanism that is honoured within 10 business days.

Checklist:

• ☐ Templates include fields for the sender's identification and contact details.
• ☐ Every template has a working unsubscribe line.
• ☐ Dealer guidance states that obtaining consent is the dealer's responsibility.

6. A recall-ready brand page

Recalls happen across the industry. Technical Safety BC, for instance, publishes a recall notice for IBC Technologies' CX Series combi boilers (models CX-199 and CX-150 made between April 2023 and April 2025). We mention it only to show where such notices appear, not to comment on any product.

Checklist:

• ☐ Your Canadian website has a page where safety notices can be posted quickly, in English and French.
• ☐ Dealers know where to find notices and who to call.
• ☐ Your locator can reach affected dealers by region.

Who should own each part of the checklist

The checklist only works if each section has an owner inside your company, not inside your agency.

Marketing should never be the only owner of a line that depends on a technical or legal document. Its job is to wait for that document and then say exactly what it supports.

When to re-run it

Re-run the checklist whenever one of these happens: a new model is added, a model is updated, a province opens, a regulation or program page changes, or a campaign makes a new claim. Keep a dated copy each time so you can show what was checked and when.

How to use this checklist

Run it before each launch wave and again before every major campaign. Give each line an owner and a date. When a line cannot be ticked, the related material waits. For help organising the work, see our services overview or call, text or email.