Two energy types are better than one

Dual energy involves replacing a 100% natural gas heating system with one that uses two energy sources:

• Electricity as the main source (70% of the time);
• Auxiliary natural gas for cold weather when demand for electricity is very high.

Our offer is intended to increase the share of electricity used to heat buildings, reducing natural gas consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while stabilizing peak electricity demand in cold weather.

Dual energy is for Énergir residential customers who have a warm-air or hot-water central heating system running on natural gas. The conversion must include the purchase and installation of new equipment leading to the exclusive use of a dual-energy heating system. The ultimate goal of dual-energy heating is to increase the share of electricity in building heating.

This offer is not intended for customers of Hydro-Québec or any other electrical distributor who already use an electric heating system or who benefit from the dual-energy rate.

To take advantage of the dual-energy offer, business customers must meet the eligibility criteria below.

• Be an Énergir customer in the business, institutional or multi-unit property sector (buildings with 20 or more dwellings).
• Own the building they plan to convert to dual energy. The building must be connected to Énergir’s natural gas network and must use natural gas or renewable natural gas (or a combination of both) for space heating, either with a warm air (forced air) or hot water central heating system, for at least 12 months at the time of the grant application. New commercial or institutional construction may be eligible for the dual-energy offer, under certain conditions. Talk about it with an Énergir representative.
• Be registered for Hydro-Québec’s small- and medium-power dual-energy rate, or for a participating municipal or cooperative network’s dual-energy rate (contact us for information on participating municipal or cooperative networks). Eligibility requirements and details of the dual-energy rate must be discussed with your electricity provider.
• Commit to using the dual-energy natural gas and electricity system, at the dual-energy rate, for at least 10 years from the date of dual-energy rate registration.
• The work must:
  o involve the installation of one or more dual-energy heating systems, and the equipment installed must be new equipment used in dual-energy mode;
  o allow electricity to be used as the primary energy source and natural gas as an auxiliary source in a dual-energy system;
  o be carried out by one or more contractors with a registered Registraire des entreprises du Québec business; they must hold the appropriate Régie du bâtiment (RBQ) licences for the work and be members of the professional order responsible for the business sector in question.
• To be eligible for the grant, eligible participants must:
  o submit their grant application (BI dual-energy contract) no more than 30 calendar days from the invoice date for installation of equipment in dual-energy mode, or no more than 30 calendar days from the purchase order date for equipment in dual-energy mode for the custom dual-energy offer;
  o comply with the requirements of the Government of Québec’s ÉcoPerformance program.

Requests for work completed before November 6, 2023, are not eligible.

Grant recipients may be required to repay all or part of the grants received if the accepted terms and conditions are not followed through to completion, or if the information provided is considered false or a misrepresentation.

No. This offer is not intended for customers who already use an electric or dual-energy heating system.

Contact us for more information on participating municipal or cooperative networks.

Yes, business customers have access to a dual-energy rate for electricity consumption.

Hydro-Québec offers a small- and medium-power dual-energy rate for space heating. This rate is available to customers equipped with a dual-energy natural gas/electric heating system. If you use a different electricity provider, please contact them directly for more information.

The dual-energy rate is in effect during the heating season, from October 1 to April 30. Outside of this period, from May 1 to September 30, electricity prices for dual energy are the same as the base rates (G, M, or G9).

Natural gas is billed at the customer’s regular rate.

The offer has been designed to benefit customers who opt to convert their heating system to dual energy. Grants for the purchase and installation of the equipment is available through the Government of Québec, Énergir and Hydro-Québec.
What’s more, electricity consumption will be billed at your electricity provider’s special dual-energy rate. This rate could potentially lead to ongoing savings to customers who use the right energy source at the right time, based on the temperature.

To help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The process of heating buildings creates significant GHG emissions and has a direct impact on climate change. By joining forces, Hydro-Québec and Énergir aim to reduce participants’ natural gas consumption by just over 70% to help Québec meet the GHG reduction target set out in the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. This target corresponds to a 37.5% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

Heating buildings with electricity puts significant pressure on Hydro-Québec’s network during winter’s peak demand. Dual energy is an excellent way to maximize the share of electricity used to heat buildings while reducing the impact on peaks. Reducing demand for electricity at these specific times optimizes the operation of the network when it is most needed. This allows Hydro-Québec to avoid additional investments or expenses to meet demand during peak periods.
From 2022 to 2030, dual-energy will save Québec nearly $1.7 billion compared to an all-electric scenario, which would have a much greater impact on rates.

Grant amounts¹ are unique to each project and based on estimated project cost. Grants are calculated based on the equipment being installed and their power and cover up to 80% of estimated project premium cost⁴ or up to $250,000 per site. The grant helps offset the difference between the cost of a natural gas appliance and the cost of a dual-energy appliance, or the cost of adding an electrical appliance. For more complex projects requiring an engineer, the Government of Québec uses a customized calculation to determine the grant amount. These grants cover up to 80% of equipment purchase and installation premium cost⁴, or $250 per tonne of GHGs avoided over a 10-year period up to $6 million per site.

Contact your Certified Partner, contractor or engineer for a detailed quote based on premium cost⁴ project.

The “custom” dual-energy offer targets the largest buildings where engineering involvement is required (highly complex projects). The Government of Québec analyzes these dual energy conversion requests and determines the grant amounts. Grants cover up to 80% of equipment purchase and installation premium cost⁴, or $250 per tonne of GHGs avoided over a 10-year period up to $6 million per site.

The dual-energy electricity/natural gas offer for businesses is part of the Government of Québec’s ÉcoPerformance program. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption by businesses through financing for projects and measures relating to energy consumption and production, or process improvements.