Heating Season and Home Insurance: What Ontario Homeowners Need to Know Before the Cold Hits

Water damage accounts for roughly 40 percent of all home insurance claims in Canada, according to industry data. A large share of those claims happen between November and March, when heating systems fail, pipes freeze, and homeowners discover — often too late — that their policy had obligations they never read.

We see it every spring at our Oshawa, Bowmanville, and Port Perry offices: a homeowner returns from a two-week winter vacation to find a burst pipe has flooded their basement. They file a claim, expecting full coverage. Then the adjuster asks one question: "Who was checking on your home while you were away?" If the answer is "nobody," that claim is in serious trouble.

Here is what your home insurer actually expects you to do during heating season — and the coverage consequences when you don't follow through.

Your Policy Has a Heating Season Clause (Read It)

Every standard home insurance policy in Ontario contains language about your obligations during heating season, which generally runs from mid-September through mid-April. The specifics vary by insurer, but the core requirement is the same: if your home is going to be unoccupied, you must take active steps to prevent frozen pipes.

Most policies give you one of three options when you leave your home during heating season:

1. Arrange for a competent person to check your home regularly. Depending on your insurer, this means every 24 to 72 hours. The person must physically enter the home and verify the heating system is running and there are no signs of water damage.
2. Shut off the main water supply and drain all pipes. This includes toilets, water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machine lines. If you do this properly, there is nothing left to freeze.
3. Install a monitored heating alarm. This is a temperature sensor connected to a 24-hour monitoring station that alerts you (or a monitoring company) if the indoor temperature drops below a safe threshold.

Miss these requirements, and your insurer has grounds to deny a frozen-pipe claim entirely. We are not talking about a deductible increase. We are talking about full denial — you pay for everything out of pocket.

The 30-day vacancy rule adds another layer. In Ontario, if your home sits empty for more than 30 consecutive days, it may be classified as vacant. At that point, your standard home insurance policy may no longer apply at all, and you would need a separate vacancy endorsement or policy to maintain coverage.

Furnace Maintenance: What Insurers Expect (and Won't Pay For)

Your furnace is not covered by home insurance for normal wear and tear. If it breaks down because the heat exchanger cracked after 20 years of use, that is a maintenance issue — you pay for the repair or replacement.

However, if your furnace is damaged by a covered peril (a fire, a power surge, a tree falling on your home and damaging ductwork), your home insurance will cover the repair or replacement cost, minus your deductible.

Here is the important part for heating season: if your furnace fails while you are away and pipes freeze as a result, the claim outcome depends on whether you followed your policy's check-in obligations. If you had someone checking daily and they discovered the furnace failure and took action, you are in good shape. If nobody checked for ten days, you are not.

What We Recommend Every Fall

• Get your furnace serviced annually before heating season starts. A licensed HVAC technician should inspect the heat exchanger, clean or replace the filter, check the ignition system, and verify the thermostat is calibrated correctly. Keep the receipt — it documents that you maintained the system, which strengthens your position if you ever need to file a claim.
• Replace your furnace filter every one to three months during heating season. A clogged filter forces the system to work harder, which increases energy costs and accelerates wear. It is also the easiest maintenance task to forget.
• Know the age of your furnace. Most gas furnaces last 15 to 20 years. If yours is approaching end of life, budget for a replacement rather than waiting for it to fail on the coldest night of the year. Some insurers ask about the age of your heating system at renewal — an aging furnace can affect your premium or your ability to get certain endorsements.

Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, and the WETT Inspection Requirement

If your home has a wood-burning stove, fireplace insert, or pellet stove, your insurer almost certainly requires a WETT inspection — a Wood Energy Technology Transfer certified assessment confirming the appliance, chimney, and clearances meet current safety standards.

A few things most homeowners do not realize about wood-burning appliances and insurance:

• Most insurers will not cover a home where wood burning is the primary heat source. Your wood stove can supplement your furnace, but you need a conventional heating system as the main source of heat.
• No WETT certificate usually means no coverage. If you install a wood stove without telling your insurer and without getting a WETT inspection, you risk having a fire claim denied and your policy cancelled.
• WETT inspections need to be repeated. Initial inspections are required at installation, and most insurers want a follow-up inspection every three to five years. Annual chimney cleaning is also expected, and keeping those receipts matters.
• A wood stove typically adds a small premium surcharge — usually around $50 per year. That is a minor cost compared to the coverage risk of not disclosing the appliance.

If you have a cottage or rural property with a wood stove, the same rules apply. In fact, insurers tend to scrutinize wood-burning appliances more carefully on properties that may sit vacant for long stretches during winter.

Space Heaters: The Leading Cause of Heating-Related Fires

Between 2017 and 2021, Ontario averaged roughly 510 structural fires per year caused by heating equipment, with portable space heaters responsible for a disproportionate share of the most severe incidents. Health Canada recorded over 250 reported incidents involving portable electric heaters between 2011 and 2023, including fatalities.

Most standard home insurance policies will cover a fire caused by a space heater. But the fire has to be accidental — not the result of negligence. An insurer may push back on a claim if the space heater was left running unattended, placed too close to combustible materials, or if it was the home's only heat source.

Space Heater Safety Rules That Also Protect Your Coverage

• Keep space heaters at least one metre (three feet) from anything that can burn: curtains, furniture, bedding, clothing.
• Never leave a space heater running when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet — never into an extension cord or power strip, which can overheat.
• Make sure your space heater has a tip-over shut-off and overheat protection. If it does not, replace it.
• Never use a space heater as your primary heat source. If your furnace is not keeping your home warm enough, that is a furnace problem — address it directly.

What to Do Before You Leave for a Winter Vacation

Here is the checklist we walk through with our clients every November:

1. Read your policy's heating season clause. Call us if you are not sure what it says. Each insurer's wording is slightly different, and the check-in frequency varies.
2. Line up your home checker. Give them a key, show them where the thermostat and water shut-off valve are, and make sure they know what to look for (running heat, no water on floors, no unusual sounds from plumbing).
3. Set your thermostat to at least 16 degrees Celsius. Do not drop it below this to save on heating bills — you are risking your entire water damage coverage for marginal savings.
4. Insulate vulnerable pipes. Pipes running through unheated areas (garage, crawl space, exterior walls) are the most likely to freeze. Pipe insulation sleeves cost a few dollars and take minutes to install.
5. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls. This lets warm air circulate around the pipes.
6. Know where your main water shut-off valve is. If you cannot arrange regular check-ins, shut off the water and drain the system before you leave. Your plumber or your home checker should know how to do this.
7. Consider a smart thermostat or water leak sensor. Wi-Fi-connected thermostats send alerts if your home temperature drops unexpectedly. Water leak sensors placed near water heaters, washing machines, and under sinks can catch a slow leak before it becomes a catastrophe.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

Water damage claims are expensive. According to industry data, a single water damage claim in Ontario raises home insurance premiums by an average of $376 per year — roughly a 19 percent increase. That premium surcharge can follow you for years.

The repair costs are worse. A burst pipe that floods a finished basement can easily run $30,000 to $80,000 in remediation, drywall replacement, flooring, and mould abatement. If the claim is denied because you failed to meet your policy obligations, that entire bill is yours.

We have seen clients face exactly this situation. It is one of the most preventable disasters in home insurance, and it comes down to one thing: knowing what your policy requires and following through.

Talk to Your Broker Before Heating Season

Every insurer's heating season clause is worded differently. Some require daily check-ins. Some accept every 72 hours. Some have specific language about monitored alarms. The only way to know exactly what your policy requires is to read it — or better yet, call us and we will walk you through it.

If you are planning a winter trip, thinking about installing a wood stove, or just want to make sure your coverage is solid heading into the cold months, get in touch with our team. A five-minute conversation now can save you from a six-figure headache in February.