In 2026, most Torontonians light a big fire in their basement to keep warm through the winter (not in a fireplace, but in the belly of their furnace or boiler). The Flintstones would understand this heating method. Even high-efficiency furnaces are a dated, 1980s technology.     We think of heat pumps as the first step towards a modern, electric home. With heat pumps, nothing is burning in the basement. They simply move heat into the home in the winter and remove heat from the home in the summer—they’re amazing.     Once people make the switch, they often wonder why they waited so long! Torontonians with heat pumps experience how they bring their homes to one even, cozy temperature. Furnaces really struggle with this.   With a furnace, the home gradually becomes chillier, then a blast of hot air is released to warm it up. This creates a temperature cycle with stuffy peaks and chilly valleys. Heat pumps are much more precise.

When you use electricity in Toronto, ~70% is from non-emitting sources like hydro, nuclear, and renewables. When you use gas in Ontario, 70% is fracked in the US Midwest and then shipped here through aging, leaky pipelines.       Heat pumps use electricity, not gas. Many homeowners who've switched to heat pumps tell us that they’re relieved to have their home’s heating be clean and Canadian.    Most Torontonians don’t realize that their home has a tailpipe, quietly emitting furnace exhaust all winter long. Heating single-family homes is Toronto’s #1 source of pollution (more than cars!). Homes that switch to heat pumps can reduce carbon emissions by 2.5–4.5 tonnes per year.(https://www.thenetwork.to/case-studies) In other words, getting a heat pump is the most meaningful climate action homeowners in Toronto can take.

Your carbon monoxide detector is a reminder of the “silent killer” in your home. We’ve worked with Torontonians who got their homes totally off gas, which means they could put their carbon monoxide detector out by the curb. Some homeowners even negotiated lower home insurance rates!    In lowering their rates, insurers recognized that one of the biggest risks to homeowners is gas leaks. The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs has been sounding the alarm on this for years:    “Hundreds of Canadians are hospitalized every year from [carbon monoxide] poisoning, many of whom are permanently disabled.  Everyone is at risk, as approximately 88% of all homes have something that poses a CO threat. More than 50 people die each year from CO poisoning in Canada – most of them while sleeping, including 11 on average in Ontario.”  ~Source(https://www.oafc.on.ca/public-safety/fire-and-carbon-monoxide-hazards/carbon-monoxide-co)   Getting gas out of your home means you’ll never have to ask, “Do you smell gas?” again. Plus, you can say goodbye to the (rising) cost of your annual gas service inspection.