By Mario Vaghei, General Manager, Aire One Peel Heating & Cooling · Published October 20, 2026 · Facts verified October 20, 2026
This page is for Mississauga and Peel Region homeowners deciding whether to pay monthly for a furnace or air conditioner plan. It covers what a plan includes and leaves out, how it compares with a warranty or a savings fund, the yearly arithmetic for each of our plans, and what to ask before you sign.
On this page
What a plan covers · Plan, warranty or repair fund · The math · When it pays · Before you sign · FAQ
Short answer
A protection plan is usually worth it on a furnace or air conditioner you own once the installer's labour warranty has ended, typically after the first year or two, and while the system is still worth repairing. It is weakest on a brand-new system: you are mostly paying for the yearly maintenance visit. If your equipment is rented, read the rental agreement first, because covered repairs, and in most plans annual maintenance, are normally already included.
What a protection plan covers, and what it doesn't
A protection plan is a service agreement paid monthly. Most combine two things: one maintenance visit a year, and an allowance for repairs up to a yearly limit. Our own plans follow that structure:
| Heating-only or cooling-only plan | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $10.99 | $19.99 | $28.99 |
| Yearly maintenance visit, with a safety check for gas and carbon monoxide | Included | Included | Included |
| Parts and labour on repairs, per year | Not included | Up to $750 | Up to $1,000 |
| Deductible | Not applicable | None | None |
| Aire One installed accessories (thermostats, condensate pumps) | Covered | Not listed | Covered |
| Furnace filters and humidifier pads | Regular price | Regular price | 25 per cent off, or free delivery |
| Term | No term | No term | No term |
Source: Aire One Peel protection plans, read October 20, 2026. Prices are plus applicable taxes and some conditions apply. Combined heating and cooling plans start at $19.99 a month, and the combined Gold plan covers up to $1,500 a year across the furnace and the air conditioner.
Three things a plan is not:
- Not unlimited. Repair cover stops at the yearly limit. A major component plus several hours of labour can go past $750.
- Not a manufacturer's warranty. The manufacturer supplies defective parts for a set period; the plan is a separate agreement with the company that services your system. Our furnace warranty guide explains how the two fit together.
- Not free of exclusions. Exclusions, limits and any fees are in the written agreement. Read it before you enrol; the questions further down show what to look for.
Protection plan, warranty or your own repair fund?
A furnace or air conditioner you own usually comes with two kinds of cover, written by two different companies. A plan and a savings fund are the two ways to cover what is left.
| Manufacturer's parts warranty | Installer's labour warranty | Protection plan | Your own repair fund | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who gives it | The equipment maker | The company that installed it | The company that services it | You |
| What it pays for | Replacement parts | The technician's time to fit covered parts | A yearly visit, plus repairs up to a yearly limit | Anything you choose |
| How long | Typically 5 to 10 years | Typically 1 to 2 years | Month to month (ours: no term) | As long as you keep it |
| Cost | Included with the equipment | Included in the installation | A monthly fee | What you set aside |
| The catch | Parts only; labour is billed | Ends early | Capped, and builds no savings | One early, large repair can empty it |
Warranty terms vary by brand and contract; our HVAC labour warranty guide sets out what is typical in Ontario and what to get in writing.
The gap that matters is the years between the end of the labour warranty and the end of the parts warranty. With 10 years on parts and 1 year on labour, that gap is nine years: the part arrives free, the technician's time does not. A plan's repair allowance is built for exactly that gap.
The math: what a year of each plan costs
| Plan | Per month | Per year, before tax | Repair cover per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze, heating or cooling | $10.99 | $131.88 | None (maintenance only) |
| Silver, heating or cooling | $19.99 | $239.88 | Up to $750 |
| Gold, heating or cooling | $28.99 | $347.88 | Up to $1,000 |
| Gold, heating and cooling | $46.99 | $563.88 | Up to $1,500 across both |
Four comparisons decide most cases:
- Bronze or a single visit. Bronze heating costs $131.88 a year. Ask for the price of a single furnace maintenance visit. If it is more than $131.88 before tax, Bronze is the cheaper way to get a yearly inspection, before any repair cover is counted.
- Silver or Bronze. The step up is $9 a month, or $108 a year, and it buys parts and labour on repairs up to $750 a year with no deductible. One covered repair costing more than $108 in a year pays for the difference. One detail to check: the Silver listing does not include the cover for Aire One installed accessories that Bronze and Gold list.
- Gold or Silver. Another $9 a month raises the limit from $750 to $1,000, adds cover for Aire One installed accessories, and takes 25 per cent off filters and humidifier pads, or gives free delivery.
- One combined plan or two. Gold heating and Gold cooling bought separately cost $57.98 a month. The combined Gold plan is $46.99, which is $131.88 less a year, with one $1,500 yearly limit shared by both systems instead of $1,000 on each.
When a plan pays, and when it doesn't
The age of the system decides more than the price of the plan. A gas furnace in Ontario typically lasts 15 to 20 years, so the warranty position moves through four stages:
| Age of the system | Warranty position | What usually makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1 to 2 | Parts and labour usually both covered | Bronze, or book the yearly visit on its own. Repair cover adds little while the installer's labour warranty runs. |
| Years 3 to 10 | Parts often still covered (typically 5 to 10 years, depending on brand and registration); labour usually not | The strongest case for Silver or Gold: the allowance pays the labour the warranty doesn't. |
| Years 10 to 15 | Parts warranty often over | The plan still pays parts and labour up to its limit, which can cover many smaller repairs. A major part can go past the limit. |
| 15 years and older | No warranty left | Every large repair becomes a repair-or-replace decision. Get a replacement quote next to the repair quote. |
Whichever you choose, keep the yearly visit. TSSA, Ontario's fuel-safety regulator, advises: "Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected annually through the services of a TSSA-registered fuel contractor." The invoice from that visit is also the service record that warranty claims can ask for. What the visit covers is in our furnace maintenance guide.
If your furnace or air conditioner is rented, a separate plan is rarely needed: under most rental agreements the provider is responsible for covered repairs during the term. Our rent or buy guide lists what to check in a rental contract.
Seven questions to ask before you sign any plan
- What is the yearly repair limit, and is it per system or shared between the furnace and the air conditioner?
- Is there a deductible, a diagnostic fee or a dispatch fee on each call?
- Are evening, weekend and holiday visits included, and at what rate?
- What is excluded? Ask specifically about refrigerant, ductwork, problems that existed before you joined, and damage from a neglected filter.
- Will the plan accept your system at its age and brand, and is there an inspection before cover starts?
- How do you cancel, and what happens to the plan if you sell the house?
- What will it cost after the first year?
Protection plans: frequently asked questions
What does a furnace or AC protection plan cover?
A yearly maintenance visit and, on most paid tiers, parts and labour on repairs up to a yearly limit. Every Aire One Peel plan includes the yearly visit with a safety check for gas and carbon monoxide. Silver adds up to $750 a year in parts and labour with no deductible; Gold adds up to $1,000, or $1,500 on the combined heating and cooling plan. Exclusions are set out in the written agreement.
Does a protection plan include annual furnace and AC maintenance?
Ours does, on every tier: a yearly furnace visit on a heating plan, a yearly air conditioner visit on a cooling plan, and both on a combined plan. Other companies' plans vary, so check that the visit is included rather than charged separately.
Is a protection plan worth it on a new furnace?
Usually not for the repair cover in the first year or two, when the manufacturer's parts warranty and the installer's labour warranty both apply. Bronze or a single yearly visit keeps the service record going; add repair cover when the labour warranty ends.
Is a protection plan the same as a warranty?
No. A warranty is a fixed-term promise from the manufacturer (parts) or the installer (labour), included in the price. A protection plan is a monthly service agreement: a yearly visit plus a capped repair allowance. They work together: the warranty supplies the part, and the plan can pay for the labour.
Can I cancel a protection plan?
Our plans are listed with no term; the written agreement sets out how to cancel and any fees, so read it before you enrol. In Ontario, a contract signed in your home can be cancelled for any reason within 10 days of receiving a written copy.
Sources and references
- Aire One Peel, Protection plans, prices, limits and inclusions as listed on October 20, 2026.
- Government of Ontario, Your rights when signing or cancelling a contract, updated April 1, 2025, read October 20, 2026.
- TSSA, Carbon Monoxide, the "Silent Killer": What Ontarians Need to Know this Winter, November 3, 2025.
- Aire One Peel, HVAC labour warranty in Ontario and Furnace warranty in Ontario: typical parts and labour terms.