Space heaters are a popular choice for heating in Canadian homes because they can heat one room at a time, saving you money on heating costs. However, many home insurers don’t like space heaters, and your policy may be affected.
Why Insurers Worry About Space Heaters
Insurance companies often worry about space heaters due to their fire risk. The United States’ National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that out of an annual average of 44,210 home fires in 2016-2020 caused by heating equipment, one-third of those occurred due to space heaters. Meanwhile, the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs warned that home heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths, with half of all fire incidents reported in January, February, and December.
Are Fires from Space Heaters Covered by Home Insurance?
Space heater fires may be covered by home insurance, but some insurers may not want to insure you in the first place if you use a space heater due to its risks. If your home insurance policy already has home fire insurance rolled into its comprehensive coverage, you may be covered.
How Having a Space Heater May Affect Your Premiums
Having a space heater may affect your premiums because space heaters are considered riskier to insure. So, having a space heater at home may raise your premiums due to the increased likelihood of it causing a house fire.
Safer (and Insurable) Alternatives
If you’re worried about space heaters raising your home insurance premiums, you can consider other heating methods that are safer and more insurable. Here are a few examples:
Questions to Ask Your Insurer About Space Heaters at Home
Revamping or installing a home heating system is an expensive and time-consuming effort, and it’s very understandable if you don’t want to do that to save money on home insurance. Fortunately, you can still get home insurance with a space heater installed, although it may be a bit tougher.
That said, asking the right questions can help you find the right home insurer that’ll protect you, even with a space heater installed. Ask these questions when you’re hunting for home insurance policies:
- Do you provide home insurance for houses that use space heaters?
- How high are my premiums compared to homes that don’t use space heaters?
- What can I do to reduce my home insurance premiums and offset the risk of the space heater?
- I just use my space heater as a secondary heating source. Would that change my risk level?
Key Advice from MyChoice
- Check with your home insurer to ensure they cover homes that use space heaters.
- If your insurer doesn’t cover homes with space heaters, consider switching to another insurer or seeking high-risk home insurance.
- Replacing space heaters with safer heating methods like furnaces and heat pumps can increase your insurability.