The Ontario government is looking at changes to door-knocker legislation introduced by the previous Liberal government that had some unintended consequences for legitimate contractors.
Bill 59, the Putting Consumers First Act, 2017, put severe restrictions on the ability to upsell or offer solutions to the homeowner.
On Jan. 11, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) met with the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to discuss ways that the current regulations can be altered to reduce the negative effect on residential HVAC contractors, reported Martin Luymes, HRAI vice president of government and stakeholder relations.
The door-knocker legislation was created after the government received thousands of complaints about companies using unscrupulous high-pressure tactics to sell hot water heaters, HVAC equipment and water treatment equipment through door-to-door sales. While homeowners welcomed the new laws, it created difficult compliance burdens for all residential HVAC contractors.
Many in the industry have welcomed the requirement for a one-page disclosure form, but other provisions in the regulations appear to be “solutions in search of a problem,” remarked Luymes.