Home heating experts say Yukon’s oil furnace industry needs to be both regulated and policed.

The comments come after a report made public by the NDP this week found most home heating systems in the Yukon don't meet national standards — and the Yukon Party government was warned about the state of affairs two years ago.

Greg Siska of Fred’s Plumbing and Heating in Whitehorse says being called in to fix sketchy home heating work when it's -40 C puts contractors in a difficult situation. (CBC)

Greg Siska of Fred’s Plumbing and Heating in Whitehorse said he has seen many examples of shoddy home heating work.

"You just look at it and go ‘Oh my God.’ There’s so many ‘oh my Gods’ it’s scary," Siska said.

He added that, in most cases the outside temperature is -40 C when a desperate call for service comes in.

"This puts us in a very difficult situation,” he said. “Do we let them freeze? What do we do?"

He said he has patched some sketchy heaters over the years, but not anymore.

Deaths under investigation

Last month, five people died in Whitehorse of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in a home heated by an oil-burning furnace. The investigation is ongoing.

The Yukon Government says it is working to improve safety in the home heating industry. It points to recent training courses at Yukon College, and a program to certify technicians in the industry.

But Siska said the industry cannot be left to self-regulate or police itself.

"You can have all the regulations in the world but if they are not policed, what good are they? I don't want to be a cop, and because of this situation I’ve got to be a rat," he said. "But there has to be a go-to person in the government that we can pass this information on to."

Siska said he has already reported a number of dangerous home heating systems to safety inspectors and he's counting on fire marshals to investigate.