The impact of various energy efficiency upgrade scenarios on the annual energy consumption of the Canadian housing stock is assessed using the Canadian Residential Energy End-use Model (CREEM). The energy efficiency upgrade scenarios that are considered include major retrofits, such as the improvement of the house envelope by adding insulation, and the replacement of the existing heating system and appliances by higher efficiency units, as well as minor retrofits, such as lighting fixture, thermostat, showerhead and aerator upgrades that reduce energy consumption. The economic feasibility of each upgrade was assessed using the indicator 'energy savings per dollar investment'. The results indicate that the energy savings potential of the retrofits is rather small, resulting in savings of 0-8 per cent of the total energy consumption of the Canadian housing stock. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.