Wood heat and Insurance in Canada

Hello,

Does anyone here heat exclusively with wood?  If so can you share with me your insurer?  I am currently with Commonwell and they wont cover me anymore until I get a back up source of heat.

Thanks.

Have you discussed with your insurer what forms of backup heat would be acceptable? I'm curious.

Yeah they want me to have baseboard electric, a furnace and ductwork or a heat pump either ducted or not. I don't have ductwork so I am going with ductless heat pump. A more expensive option than baseboard electric but at least it will cool my house in summers.

Well, the first rule is "shop around." Other insurers may be more reasonable. Though burst pipes make them all grumpy, because it costs a small fortune to restore.

I have always thought heat pumps were brilliant, but they don't work in my cold climate when I need them most, so I currently need natural gas plus wood anyway. It is what it is; I don't have to like it. So it goes.

I would be interested to hear more as you work your way to a solution.

The insurance companies are understandably grumpy about burst pipes, but most of the time it has been caused by power outage on grid.  It has been those with an off grid "backup" that didn't have issues.  At least with people I know.

They are also really grumpy about chimney fires.  Again understandable, but I had to pay a fairly hefty increase in premium on my last house when I installed a woodstove, and was told a flat no on this house.  

Next house I will do the mini split heat pump plus small wood stove.  

My parents insurer required a backup to wood, and, of course, a WETT certification for the stove.

FYI - If you have a generator, tell your insurer. My mom's insurer gives her a reduction on her rate for having one since it means she can run a sump pump, a space heater, etc in a power outage.

Would a propane heater count as an alternative?