Planning a heating business in Quebec

The heating mix in Quebec

From Statistics Canada's Table 38-10-0286-01:

Inside furnace homes, 64% used electric furnaces in 2023 and 25% gas. Inside boiler homes, 53% were electric. Quebec had 185,533 residential gas customers at the end of 2025, according to Statistics Canada's gas distribution table, a small base for a province of its size.

Competitors and density

The June 2026 Business Counts list 2,983 Quebec employer locations in plumbing, heating and air-conditioning, the second-largest total in Canada. By our calculation, 53.9% had one to four staff and 371 had 20 or more. A gas-customers-per-firm ratio means little here, because gas is a minor fuel; the better density question is how many baseboard homes sit within your service area.

Seasonality and climate

Winters are long and snowy across Quebec, and tougher still once you leave the St. Lawrence valley. Because most homes are electric, the gas curve is a weak guide to overall demand. Your own monthly calls and installs matter more.

For heat pump sellers, the practical pattern is two pushes: autumn, when owners think about winter heating costs, and late spring, when cooling becomes the selling point. Baseboard homes adding a heat pump often buy for summer comfort and keep it for winter savings.

Regulators to know

• The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licenses businesses doing construction work for others, with subclasses that must match the work.
• Workers on construction sites need competency cards from the CCQ.
• The CNESST covers workplace health and safety.
• The Office de la protection du consommateur oversees consumer protection.

Quebec's licensing rules are detailed; questions go to the RBQ, not to us.

Programs as of October 2026

• LogisVert. The grant is sized by heating capacity: Hydro-Québec's program page pays more per 1,000 BTU/h for cold-climate heat pumps than for standard ENERGY STAR units, to a maximum of $6,700. It also notes the federal heat pump rebate expected in 2027.
• Rénoclimat. Since 2026-10-01, homeowners can skip the pre-work evaluation, and revised aid limits are in force.
• Chauffez vert. Closed to applications after 2026-03-31.
• Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program. An agreement announced 2026-06-29 covers about 25,000 low- and median-income households; the delivery program's name was not confirmed when we checked.

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How we would approach Quebec

The growth plan here usually makes heat pumps the lead line, aimed squarely at baseboard homes, with service and maintenance of existing heat pumps as the recurring base. Oil and propane conversions are a shrinking pool since Chauffez vert closed, so we would market them without building the plan around them.

Content and campaigns should run in French first, with English where your customers use it. The growth plan sets the line weights and the market brief can drill into census metropolitan areas such as Montréal and Québec, using Statistics Canada's estimates with their quality flags shown.

Quebec clients pay our listed prices plus 5% GST and 9.975% QST (CRA rates); see pricing. We are a marketing and consulting service, not a contractor, and do no installation work. Call, text or email to start.