Winter is coming, yet the majority of Ontario homeowners are not prepared, according to Enercare
One in three (36%) Ontarians say Labour Day's arrival is the most important sign that Fall is here, while 41% say it's when the leaves begin to turn colour.
Three quarters (74%) usually wait until at least October before firing up their furnace and thirteen percent (13%) won't even think about doing this until November.
Approximately two-thirds of Ontarians do not have annual maintenance checks performed, leading to a higher risk of equipment failure during the cold, winter months.
MARKHAM, ON, Oct. 3, 2019 /CNW/ - A new poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Enercare Home Services, found that despite the fact that Ontario homeowners have a basic knowledge of how to maintain their furnace, many are not taking proactive steps to ensure their furnace is running properly before the cold weather hits.
A survey of more than 1,000 Ontario homeowners conducted in September 2019 by Ipsos found that one in four (25%) of Ontario homeowners admit to never having their furnace serviced, and while only 37% actually do this, Enercare recommends that every homeowner have a furnace maintenance before temperatures drop.
With Ontario being known for its long and cold winters, it's especially important that homeowners have their furnaces regularly maintained, to avoid breakdowns during cold snaps.
"Similar to getting your car tuned up and oil changed, your furnace requires the same level of maintenance to get ahead of minor issues before they become costly breakdowns. By testing your furnace before the cold weather hits, you are able to address any concerns ahead of time and ensure your family is comfortable all season long," says Dave Gosling, Vice President of Field Operations for Enercare.
One simple way to test your furnace is to turn the thermostat up and turn your furnace on for at least 15 minutes. If your vents are blowing warm air and you don't hear any strange noises, your furnace is likely in good shape!
A regular maintenance tune-up performed by a licensed technician will ensure your furnace is operating safely and efficiently. If you notice any irregularities once your furnace is running, turn off the unit immediately, and contact a licensed professional. For more information, visit TestYourFurnace.ca
Fun Facts
When do you turn on your furnace for the first time?
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Ontarians wait until at least October before firing up their furnace. Thirteen percent (13%) of Ontario homeowners won't even think about doing this until at least November. A small portion of Ontario homeowners, four percent (4%), turn their furnaces on before October.
What's your furnace set at?
Once their furnace is up and running for the season, a majority (59%) of Ontario homeowners keep their thermostat between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius, on average, during the winter months. Men typically like it cooler, as they prefer a thermostat setting of 17 degrees Celsius, or less.
Has Autumn un-officially started?
One in three (36%) Ontarians say Labour Day's arrival is the most important sign that Fall is here. However, 41% of Ontarians think the most important sign is the moment the leaves begin to turn colour.
About Enercare Inc.
Enercare is one of North America's largest home and commercial services and energy solutions companies with approximately 5,100 employees under its Enercare and Service Experts brands. Enercare, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Enercare Solutions Inc., is a leading provider of water heaters, water treatment, furnaces, air conditioners and other HVAC rental products, plumbing services, protection plans and related services. With operations in Canada and the United States, Enercare serves approximately 1.6 million customers annually. Enercare is also the largest non-utility sub-meter provider, with electricity, water, thermal and gas metering contracts for condominium and apartment suites in Canada and through its Triacta brand, a premier designer and manufacturer of advanced sub-meters and sub-metering solutions.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between September 6th and 10th, 2019, on behalf of Enercare. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Ontarians were interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the Ontario population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Ontarians been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
SOURCE Enercare Inc.
Rob Hogan, North Strategic on behalf of Enercare, [email protected]
Share this article