Quebec bans oil heating in new homes starting Dec. 31

As of Dec.31, oil-powered heating isbanned in all new construction projects across Quebec, part of the province'spush to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In two years, Quebecwill go a step further by making it illegal to replace existing oil furnaces with any sort of heating system powered by fossil fuels afterDec.31, 2023,

The new rules were laid out in a ministerial decree on oil and gas heatingpassed in late November.

Cendrix Bouchard, a spokesperson for Hydro-Qubec, says it's a step in the right direction and says the utility has the resources to meet increased demand.

"We will supply the new residential customers and businesses with the electricity they need in order to meet their needs."

The new decree also bans the repair of heating systems running on fuel that are more than20-years-old and oil-powered water heaters that are more than10-years-old.

"They will use more electricity," said Bouchard of those who have to make the switch to electric heating. "However, their energy consumption bill will not increase because our rates are among the lowest in North America."

"Also, there's a competitive advantage of electricity over oil. One cost, though, will be replacing the equipment."

For Quebecers looking to retrofit their home heating system, Bouchard says Hydro-Qubec offers financial assistancethrough itsefficient heat pump programand the government offers a similar program calledChauffez vert.

Homeowners need to do a bit of research on the two programs, the heat pumps that will work for their homesand submit their project to see if they qualify for funding.

Province wants to slash building emissions

Quebec says more than200,000 homes across the province are still heated by fossil fuel and heating accounts for more than60 per cent of household emissions.

The governmentbelieves the new measures will help it hit itstarget of reducing emissions related to heating buildings by 50 per cent by 2030. Right now, it says oil furnaces generate around a million tonnes of CO2 every year the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from300,000cars.

On top of CO2 emissions, oil combustion in heating systems also generates nitrogenoxide, sulphur dioxide and other fine particles that can be harmful to the environment.

The latest available data shows that the province is still lagging behind when it comes to reducing its emissions and will need to make considerable changes if it wants to meet its climate targets.

Bouchard says it's easier than ever to track how much energy you use, thanks to apps and new technology.

"The biggest advice I can always give to people is, if you want to act on your consumption, you have to understand how you consume," he said.

"Heating will represent roughly 50 per cent of your hydro bill."

By switching to electric thermostats, lowering the temperature in rooms that aren't being used and turning the heating off or way down when you're away, he says people can save themselves some money.

Since over 99 per cent of Quebec's electricity is generated by hydroelectricdams, Bouchard says the province is doing the right thing by embracing a shift to electric heating.

"We're expecting an increase of 12 per cent between now and 2029 and it's due to energy transition," he said.