In short
- Gas smell: leave, then call Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427 or 911 from a safe place. A CO alarm does not detect natural gas.
- CO alarm sounding: everyone out, and 9-1-1 from outside the building.
- An after-hours furnace call adds $100–$200 or more to the base bill on the Canada-wide HomeStars guide.
- The City of Ottawa advises keeping indoor air above 8°C wherever water pipes run.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| After-hours surcharge | $100–$200+ | Canada-wide HomeStars guide; added to the base bill |
| HVAC labour, business hours, Ottawa | $85–$175/h | HomeStars Ottawa HVAC page; emergency or weekend service can nearly double it |
| Diagnostic or service call | $80–$150 | Canada-wide guide; often credited to the repair |
| Furnace repair, Ottawa | $200–$1,800 | HomeStars Ottawa HVAC page |
| Ignitor | $150–$300 | Canada-wide guide |
| Control board | $400–$900 | Canada-wide guide |
Sources. Costs: HomeStars, Furnace Repair Costs in Canada, Canada-wide, seen 29.10.2026; HomeStars, HVAC contractors in Ottawa, cost section, seen 29.10.2026. Safety: Enbridge Gas, Smell Natural Gas?, Ontario, Carbon monoxide safety and Health Canada, hazard assessment for portable electric heaters, seen 29.10.2026. Ottawa: City of Ottawa, Heat By-law No. 2010-210 and City of Ottawa, Frozen water service pipes, seen 29.10.2026. Tenancy: O. Reg. 516/06, s. 4, seen 29.10.2026. Gas work: TSSA, Be Fuels Wise, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, rules for businesses entering contracts at consumers’ homes and Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Canada-wide figures are labelled; the company that calls you prices your own job.
The first two minutes: gas smell or CO alarm
A cold house is a repair. A gas smell or a sounding carbon monoxide alarm belongs to Enbridge or the fire service first.
Gas. Enbridge says a leak smells of rotten eggs or sulphur, or makes a hissing sound near the meter, pipes or an appliance. Leave right away, leave lights and appliances as they are, and call 1-866-763-5427 or 911 from a safe place.
Carbon monoxide. Ontario lists headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion and drowsiness among its effects. If the alarm sounds, get everyone out and call 9-1-1 from outside. Alarm rules are on the carbon monoxide safety page; a notice left on the furnace is covered on the red tag page.
How urgent is a cold house?
Three numbers help you choose between Today and This week on the form:
- 8°C. The City advises keeping indoor air above 8°C where water pipes run, especially near the meter. A basement near that mark is a Today request.
- 20°C. Ottawa’s Heat By-law sets this daytime minimum for rented homes the landlord heats. Owners can use it as a reference point for their own home.
- $100–$200 or more. What an after-hours call adds on the Canada-wide guide.
When the temperature near the pipes is falling toward 8°C, choose Today. When the house is holding steady and nobody is at risk, the Canada-wide guide notes that waiting for business hours can make a real difference to the total.
What to write so the right technician comes
- The symptom. “Thermostat calls for heat, nothing happens.” “Burner lights, runs a minute, shuts off.” For cold air from the vents, see furnace blowing cold air.
- Fuel and furnace. HomeStars notes that the make, model and age, usually on a label inside the furnace door, help the technician bring the right parts. Add any blinking light or fault code.
- What came before. A power cut, a storm, a new thermostat, renovation dust.
- Outside vents. Ontario’s CO guidance says furnace vents outside should stay clear of snow. Say whether snow covers them.
Stopgaps to keep out of the house
Ontario’s carbon monoxide page lists the risky ones: a stove or oven used for heat, a barbecue indoors or in a garage, a portable generator run close to doors, windows or vents. Health Canada adds that electric space heaters overheat when set too close to anything flammable, and points to about 510 structural fires a year from heating equipment in Ontario between 2017 and 2021.
What an after-hours bill is made of
- The call. Diagnostic fee, $80–$150 on the Canada-wide guide, often credited to the repair.
- The premium. A $100–$200 or more surcharge, or a higher hourly rate. HomeStars’ Ottawa page puts business-hours labour at $85–$175 an hour and says emergency or weekend service can nearly double it.
- The part. An ignitor runs $150–$300 and a control board $400–$900 on the Canada-wide guide.
The same guide suggests a second opinion before approving anything over $300. On a cold night, ask whether a smaller fix restores heat now and the larger job can be quoted in daylight.
Tenants and the Heat By-law
City of Ottawa By-law 2010-210 covers rented homes the landlord normally heats: at least 20°C in each room from 6 am to 11 pm and 16.67°C from 11 pm to 6 am, maintained at all times. If the landlord fails, the City issues a written notice, may do the work itself and can add the cost to the property tax roll. The by-law page lists 3-1-1 as the contact. Ontario’s tenancy regulation also treats heat as a vital service from 1 September to 15 June. Tell the landlord first; if they ask you to arrange the visit, add their contact and approval to your request.
Paper on a cold night
Under Ontario law, furnaces must be maintained by TSSA-registered contractors, and TSSA’s website has a lookup to check one. Home repair work over $50 needs a written agreement, and an estimate in it can be exceeded by 10% at most unless you sign a change. If you sign at home, a 10-day cooling-off period applies; if you asked for the work to start at once, the company is entitled to reasonable payment for work and materials already provided that cannot be returned.
Who handles your request
Ottawa Heating Desk passes your request to one independent local heating company. That company calls you back, agrees the timing and price with you, and does the repair.
Questions to ask the company
- What is your evening or weekend call fee, and is it on top of the diagnostic fee?
- What would the same visit cost in regular hours tomorrow?
- Does the technician carry common parts for my furnace model?
- What is your TSSA registration number?
- Can I see the part, labour, surcharge and HST in writing before work starts?
Have this ready for the call
- What the furnace does: silent, cold air from the vents, or burner lights and shuts off
- Fuel, plus a photo of the rating label if it is visible without removing a panel
- Indoor temperature now, how fast it is dropping, and who is home
- Whether snow covers the furnace vent pipes outside
- Owner or tenant, and the landlord's contact if you rent
Questions people ask
Is a furnace that quit overnight an emergency?
It depends on the cold and on who is home. The Canada-wide HomeStars guide suggests waiting for business hours when there is no safety risk, which saves the after-hours surcharge. If the house will drop below the City’s 8°C mark near the pipes, pick Today on the form.
Can I warm the house with the oven or a barbecue?
Ontario’s carbon monoxide page says to avoid heating a home with a stove or oven and to keep barbecues and portable generators outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents.
Are electric space heaters safe while I wait?
Health Canada says portable electric heaters can overheat and become a burn or fire hazard when placed too close to something flammable, or when something flammable is placed on them. Keep curtains, bedding and clothes well clear.
The technician offered a new furnace during the repair visit. Is that allowed?
Ontario’s rules bar a business doing repairs at your home from signing you to a new furnace agreement during that visit, unless it already has a contract with you, asked in advance, and you agreed.
The water stopped as well. Is that related?
It may be a frozen water service pipe. The City of Ottawa asks you to call 3-1-1. Thawing on City property is free; on private property the City charges the cost of the work plus 15%.
