Quebec is putting more money behind homes and buildings that heat mainly with electricity but keep natural gas for the coldest days. In a government announcement dated April 10, 2026, the Government of Quebec said it will provide $163.4 million to Énergir to run a financial assistance program for dual-energy heating. The program took effect April 1, 2026 and covers residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
What was announced
The short answer: a single Énergir-run program now replaces two earlier government measures for Énergir customers.
According to the announcement:
- Funding: $163.4 million from the Quebec government to Énergir.
- Start: the Énergir program took effect April 1, 2026. No end date was given.
- Reach: more than 11,000 households and nearly 450 commercial and institutional buildings are expected to benefit.
- Expected results: about 55,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent avoided a year, and energy savings of more than 600,000 gigajoules.
- What it replaces: for Énergir customers, the dual-energy component of Chauffez vert and the commercial and institutional dual-energy component of ÉcoPerformance.
The funding sits under Quebec's 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. Environment Minister Benoit Charette made the announcement, and an Énergir executive spoke to the simpler administration and customer support.
How dual-energy works
Quebec's program page for converting gas heating to dual-energy, last updated March 30, 2026, describes the logic. Electricity is the main heat source about 70% of the time. When the outdoor temperature reaches about -12 °C or colder, the natural gas system takes over. The page lists lower emissions, better energy use in extreme cold and access to Hydro-Québec's DT electricity rate as benefits.
For a typical house this means a heat pump or electric heating paired with an existing or new gas furnace, controlled so that gas runs only in the deep cold. The announcement frames it as a way to cut emissions and ease winter peak demand on Quebec's electricity grid.
Who can take part
The program page says eligible dwellings include detached, semi-detached and row houses, mobile homes, duplexes, triplexes and multi-unit residential buildings. The home must already heat with natural gas before the work starts. Homeowners contact their gas distributor to apply; Énergir runs the program for its own customers. Subsidy amounts are set out in the participant guide dated April 1, 2026, which we did not review in full for this brief, so we do not quote amounts.
What the program replaces, and what it does not
For Énergir customers, this program takes over from two earlier measures: the dual-energy component of Chauffez vert and the commercial and institutional dual-energy component of ÉcoPerformance. It does not replace Hydro-Québec's LogisVert heat pump grants, and it is separate from the end of Chauffez vert's oil and propane conversion aid on March 31, 2026. Homes served by a different gas distributor should check that distributor's own process, since Quebec's program page lists contacts for more than one.
Contractor analysis: what Quebec furnace companies should do
This section is FurnaceNews.ca analysis, not part of the government sources.
The gas furnace stays in the picture. In much of Canada, fuel-switching talk sounds like "remove the furnace." Quebec's dual-energy model keeps a gas furnace as the cold-weather backup. For contractors who service Énergir territory, that means furnace skills remain central to the job: correct staging, controls and the changeover point.
The market is specific. Quebec homes mostly heat with electricity. The program targets the smaller group already on natural gas. Broad, province-wide advertising will waste money. Campaigns should focus on gas-served neighbourhoods and on homeowners who already have a furnace.
French comes first. Quebec customers have the right to be informed and served in French, and the province's language obligations tightened in June 2025. Our Quebec coverage page summarises what that means for websites and ads, and links the regulators.
Explain the -12 °C idea simply. Homeowners grasp "heat pump most of the winter, furnace on the coldest days" quickly. A diagram-free, plain-language page with that sentence, a link to the government page and a "confirm amounts with Énergir" line answers the main question without overpromising.
Our dual-fuel and fuel-switching campaign service is designed for exactly this kind of program, and the newsroom tracks related changes, including the end of Quebec's oil and propane conversion aid.
FurnaceNews.ca is a news and marketing service for heating contractors. We are not a gas distributor, a program administrator or a heating contractor. Confirm eligibility and amounts with Énergir and the Government of Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
What is dual-energy heating in Quebec?
It is a system that uses electricity as the main heat source and natural gas as the backup. Quebec's program page says electricity supplies heat about 70% of the time, with gas taking over at or below about -12 °C.
How much funding was announced?
The Government of Quebec announced $163.4 million for Énergir on April 10, 2026, to run a dual-energy assistance program for residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
How many homes will it reach?
The announcement says more than 11,000 households and nearly 450 commercial and institutional buildings are expected to benefit.
How do homeowners apply?
Quebec's program page tells homeowners to contact their natural gas distributor. Énergir runs the program for its customers. Amounts and conditions are in the participant guide dated April 1, 2026.