Heating Oil Prices Are Rising in Quebec: Is It Time to Convert to Electric Heating?
For Quebec homeowners who still rely on heating oil, the cost of keeping a home warm has become an increasingly important concern. Heating oil prices have changed dramatically over the years, making it increasingly difficult for homeowners to predict what their heating costs will be from one winter to the next.
According to the Régie de l’énergie du Québec, heating oil prices in Quebec have increased significantly compared with previous years, with recent prices exceeding $2 per litre in many cases.
For a homeowner with a large oil tank, that can translate into a substantial expense every time it needs to be filled.
If your home is still heated with oil, an important question is therefore worth asking:
Does it still make sense to continue heating with oil, or is it time to consider converting your home to electric heating?
Heating Oil Is No Longer the Inexpensive Option It Once Was
Many Quebec homes, particularly older properties, were originally equipped with oil furnaces or oil-fired boilers.
For decades, these systems provided dependable heating during our cold winters. But the economics of heating with oil have changed considerably.
The concern isn’t simply the price of heating oil today. It is also the uncertainty surrounding what homeowners may have to pay tomorrow.
Petroleum prices can fluctuate because of international energy markets, refining and transportation costs, supply and demand, geopolitical events and numerous other factors outside a homeowner’s control.
Your home’s heating requirements may be relatively predictable.
The price of the oil required to heat it isn’t.
That uncertainty is one of the reasons many Quebec homeowners are now considering converting their existing oil heating systems to electricity.
What Does Heating Oil at More Than $2 Per Litre Mean for Your Household?
Consider a simple example.
At approximately $2.00 per litre, purchasing 1,000 litres of heating oil represents approximately $2,000 before applicable taxes.
A household consuming 2,000 litres during a heating season could therefore spend approximately $4,000 on heating oil alone, depending on the actual price paid.
Actual consumption and costs vary considerably according to the size of the home, insulation, outdoor temperatures, furnace or boiler efficiency, thermostat settings and other factors.
Nevertheless, it illustrates why the cost of continuing to heat with oil deserves serious consideration.
Follow Heating Oil Prices in Quebec
Homeowners don’t have to rely on estimates to understand what is happening with heating oil prices.
The Régie de l’énergie du Québec regularly publishes information about petroleum product prices throughout the province, including weekly heating oil price reports.
You can consult the latest official information here:
Régie de l’énergie du Québec – Weekly Heating Oil Price Report
Following these reports can help homeowners understand current market conditions and evaluate whether continuing to depend on heating oil makes sense for their household.
Why More Homeowners Are Considering Electric Heating
Moving away from heating oil doesn’t mean there is only one replacement option.
At ÉcoConversions, the objective is to determine the appropriate electric heating solution based on the type of heating system already installed in the home.
For most homes with an existing oil system, there are two main conversion scenarios.
Converting an Oil Boiler to Electric
Homes with hot-water heating systems don’t necessarily need to completely redesign the way their home is heated.
An existing oil boiler can be replaced with a high-efficiency wall-mounted electric boiler, allowing the home to continue using its existing hydronic heating system.
A cold-climate wall-mounted heat pump can also be added to complement the electric boiler.
This combination can provide homeowners with efficient electric heating while adding the benefits of a heat pump, including cooling during the warmer months.
The electric boiler remains an important part of the home’s heating solution, while the heat pump provides additional heating efficiency and summer air conditioning.
Converting an Oil Furnace to Electric
Homes equipped with a forced-air oil furnace have another excellent conversion option.
The existing oil furnace can be replaced with an electric furnace while continuing to take advantage of the home’s central ductwork.
A central cold-climate heat pump can then be added to create a complete heating and cooling system.
This combination offers the best of both worlds:
Cost-effective, dependable electric heating during Quebec winters and central air conditioning during the summer.
Rather than viewing the heat pump as the entire heating solution, it becomes part of an integrated electric system designed specifically for the home.
Electric Furnace, Electric Boiler or Heat Pump?
The answer depends on your home.
A house with an existing forced-air furnace has very different requirements from a property heated through radiators or a hydronic hot-water system.
That’s why an electric conversion should begin by looking at the heating infrastructure already in place.
For example:
Oil furnace → Electric furnace
Optional addition: central cold-climate heat pump
Oil boiler → High-efficiency electric boiler
Optional addition: wall-mounted cold-climate heat pump
The objective is not to force every homeowner into the same type of system.
The objective is to convert the home from oil to an electric heating solution that works with the property and the homeowner’s needs.
The Benefits Go Beyond Eliminating Oil
Converting from oil to electric heating can provide several advantages.
Homeowners can reduce their dependence on fluctuating petroleum prices while modernizing an aging heating system. Depending on the configuration selected, they can also combine heating and air conditioning into a more complete year-round comfort solution.
An electric conversion can also eliminate the need to continually order and store heating oil at the property.
For homeowners with older oil furnaces or boilers, the conversion is an opportunity to rethink the entire heating system rather than simply replacing one aging piece of equipment with another.
Every Home Requires a Different Solution
There is no universal heating system for every Quebec property.
A bungalow with an oil furnace and central ductwork may be an ideal candidate for an electric furnace combined with a central cold-climate heat pump.
A home with an oil boiler and hot-water radiators may instead benefit from a wall-mounted electric boiler, with the option of adding a ductless cold-climate heat pump.
Before recommending a conversion, several factors should be considered, including:
- Existing furnace or boiler
- Forced-air or hydronic distribution system
- Electrical capacity
- Existing ductwork
- Home size and layout
- Insulation
- Heating requirements
- Cooling requirements
- Age and condition of the existing oil equipment
That’s why the first step should be an evaluation of the existing system.
Don’t Wait Until Your Oil System Fails
One of the worst times to make a major heating decision is during an emergency.
If an aging oil furnace or boiler stops working during a Quebec winter, homeowners may have very little time to compare equipment, understand the different electric conversion options or properly plan the installation.
If your oil system is still operating, now may actually be the best time to explore your options.
You can determine whether your home is better suited to an electric furnace or electric boiler, whether adding a cold-climate heat pump makes sense, and what would be involved in completing the conversion.
Is It Time to Convert From Oil to Electricity?
Heating oil isn’t disappearing overnight, and every homeowner’s situation is different.
But with heating oil prices having increased considerably over the years, homeowners who still rely on oil have good reason to examine the alternatives.
And converting to electricity doesn’t mean simply installing a heat pump.
Depending on your existing system, the right solution could be an electric furnace, a high-efficiency electric boiler, or an electric heating system combined with a cold-climate heat pump.
Still heating your home with oil?
Talk to ÉcoConversions about your existing furnace or boiler and discover which electric conversion solution is appropriate for your home.
Before your next major oil delivery—or before your existing system reaches the end of its life—find out what it would take to make the transition from oil to electricity.
ÉcoConversions — helping Quebec homeowners make the transition from oil to electric heating.