Keep your gas furnace. It only works when it's bitterly cold.
Dual energy means a central heat pump heats your home through most of the winter, and your furnace takes over on its own below −12 °C (−15 °C in some regions). Here's how the switch works, what it changes on your Hydro-Québec bill, and whether it's the right call for your home.
Dual energy doesn't mean the same thing for everyone
Tell us how you heat today. We'll tell you what dual energy means in your home, which rate applies and which aid actually exists.
That's how Énergir helps you tell them apart: vents and ducts mean forced air; a boiler and radiators mean hot water.
Good to know. Hydro-Québec accepts four backup fuels on Rate DT: natural gas, oil, propane and wood pellets. Énergir's conversion aid, funded with Québec and Hydro-Québec, covers natural gas on its network.
You are exactly the case Énergir's dual-energy offer was built for.
All of your home's electricity moves to Hydro-Québec's Rate DT: 5.131¢ per kWh above the threshold, 30.001¢ below it.
Up to $7,300 for a house or condo, $8,600 for a duplex and $9,100 for a triplex, for a central heat pump from Énergir's list paired with your furnace.
We add a central heat pump to your existing furnace. Refrigeration, ductwork and electrical hookups are our trade.
The dual-energy contract is signed before installation, and you commit to staying on Rate DT for 10 years.
Up to $9,100, paid by three organizations
Amounts from Énergir's participation guide, in force April 1, 2026 (revised June 18, 2026), for an existing home. These are maximums: the actual amount depends on the equipment installed and the work.
Electrical upgrades are only covered on the hot-water track, and the aid never exceeds 100% of their cost.
Cap: all aid combined, including federal aid, never exceeds 80% of eligible costs (purchase, installation and commissioning; taxes excluded).
Apply the cap to my quoteA January day, hour by hour
Hydro-Québec's sensor reads the outdoor temperature. Above the threshold, the heat pump heats; below it, the furnace takes over on its own and the indicator light comes on. Pick a day, then tap an hour.
Illustrative temperature profile, not a forecast. The threshold is −12 °C or −15 °C depending on the climate zone set by Hydro-Québec; at exactly −12 °C, the home still heats on electricity.
The indicator light in the house is optional. Hydro-Québec provides it free of charge; installing it is at your expense.
Same kilowatt-hour, two prices. It all happens below the threshold.
On Rate DT, all of the home's electricity follows the outdoor temperature: lighting, appliances, cooling, charging the car. Two tools to see where the dollars go.
An hour of an appliance, above or below the threshold
Hydro-Québec prices in force April 1, 2026, energy only. Rate D: 7.065¢ up to 40 kWh per day of the billing period, 11.142¢ after that (calculated here over 365 days). The system access charge is the same on both rates (46.154¢ per day). Gas burned in deep cold is not counted. An illustration, not an estimate of your bill.
Five questions to see if dual energy makes sense in your home
For a home heated with natural gas through a furnace and ducts. Answer as you go: the verdict builds up, nothing is sent anywhere.
Answer the questions: your verdict builds up here.
Each answer adds a line: what's settled, what still needs checking, what's in the way.
Keep gas, go dual energy, or go all-electric
Three ways to heat a home that runs on gas today. Pick a criterion to compare.
Gas only
Dual energy
All-electric
Hydro-Québec rates in force April 1, 2026; amounts from Énergir's guide for an existing home. For a heat pump without dual energy, see our LogisVert page and our central heat pumps.
Five players, one file
The aid goes through Énergir, the rate through Hydro-Québec, the work through licensed contractors. Here's who does what, from the first call to the first winter.
You
- Sign the dual-energy contract before installation, with an Énergir representative or Énergir Partner.
- Provide proof of ownership and an electricity bill from before the work.
- Sign the compliance certificate to request Rate DT.
- Stay on Rate DT for 10 years and tell Hydro-Québec about any change to the system.
Énergir
- Checks your eligibility: the quiz is in Énergir's customer portal.
- Validates the preliminary rebate calculation prepared with the quote.
- Pays the aid about 30 days after confirmation, if it wasn't deducted from the invoice.
Hydro-Québec
- Supplies and installs the outdoor temperature sensor.
- Installs the dual-register meter after the certificate, and applies Rate DT from then on.
- Provides the indicator light free of charge (1 800 363-7443).
The certifying contractor
- Checks that the system meets Rate DT's conditions.
- Tests the switching device and its wiring to the meter.
- Fills out and signs the compliance certificate: a member of the CMEQ, CMMTQ or CETAF, per Hydro-Québec's form.
AirGreen
- Free on-site estimate, quote within 24 hours.
- A central heat pump from Énergir's list, paired with your furnace.
- Ductwork and electrical hookups: RBQ licence 5645-9605-01 (15.8, 15.10, 16).
- The gas appliance itself or a hot-water system: a contractor who holds the right licence.
Énergir states that you can hire a non-partner contractor of your choice. The dual-energy contract itself is signed with an Énergir representative or Partner, before installation.
Eight costly dual-energy mistakes
The first four make you pay 30.001¢ per kWh without noticing. The other four cost you the aid or skew the picture.
Your dual-energy questions, checked answers
No question matches. Call us at 514 316-2973 and we'll answer.
Does Rate DT only apply to heating?
No. It applies to all of the account's electricity: lighting, appliances, cooling, pool heater, car charging. That's why you cut non-essential use when the indicator light is on.
Who installs the temperature sensor?
Hydro-Québec supplies and installs it, wherever it chooses. It's usually built into the meter and controls the switch from one source to the other.
What is the indicator light for?
Off, the house heats on electricity at the low price. On, the furnace has taken over and electricity costs the high price. It's optional: Hydro-Québec provides it free (1 800 363-7443), and installing it is at your expense.
Can the heat pump and the furnace heat at the same time?
No. Rate DT prohibits running both sources at once, and the furnace must be able to heat the whole home on its own in deep cold.
What happens after a power outage?
The system may have a device that, after an outage, only allows the backup source for a while, whatever the temperature. That device must meet Hydro-Québec's requirements.
Can I leave Rate DT?
Hydro-Québec lets you change rates, then keeps you at least 12 months on the new one. But Énergir's rebate requires 10 years on Rate DT: leaving earlier can mean paying the aid back.
Can Rate DT cost more than Rate D?
Yes, depending on your habits. If too much of your electricity is used below the threshold, Rate DT loses its edge. The tool in section 04 shows where that break-even point sits.
What if the winter is very cold?
Savings drop, since a bigger share is billed at the high price; a mild winter raises them. Hydro-Québec advises judging over several years.
Does dual energy work with oil or propane?
Yes: Hydro-Québec accepts natural gas, oil, propane and wood pellets as backup. Énergir's aid, however, only covers natural gas on its network. And since December 31, 2023, it is prohibited to install an oil heating appliance or replace one with a fossil-fuel appliance.
My dual-energy system is old. What do I replace it with?
Hydro-Québec says that, barring exceptions, 20 years of Rate DT savings cover the extra cost of a full dual-energy replacement over an electric system. If you switch to another type of system, tell Hydro-Québec: you'll lose Rate DT.
Do I need a new meter?
Yes, a dual-register meter that measures low-price and high-price electricity separately. Hydro-Québec installs it after receiving the compliance certificate, and Rate DT applies from that installation on.
Do I have to go through an Énergir Partner?
No. Énergir states that you can hire a non-partner contractor of your choice. A Partner can deduct the rebate from their invoice; otherwise, Énergir pays it about 30 days after the conversion is confirmed.
Can I add the new federal rebate?
Énergir's guide allows federal aid to be combined, within the 80% cap on eligible costs. Ottawa announced a $2,000 rebate, or up to $10,000 for low- or median-income households, for heat pumps installed from November 1, 2026. The criteria, including the case of a furnace that stays, are published from that date: we check them before your quote.
I rent. Can I take part?
The rebate is paid to the owner of the home. Your landlord is the one who can apply.
Why keep gas instead of going all-electric?
Electric heating weighs heavily on Hydro-Québec's grid during winter peaks. According to Énergir, dual energy could save Québec close to $1.7 billion between 2022 and 2030 compared with an all-electric scenario.
How long do I have for the work and the application?
You have 12 months after signing the contract to do the work and send the documents. Énergir must receive the application no later than 12 months after work starts, per the guide; Énergir's web page says 12 months after it ends. Aim for the earlier date.
Your furnace stays. We add the right heat pump, by the program's rules.
Be careful: Énergir states it never contacts customers to get their credit card number. If someone calls you for that, hang up and contact your police service.
Sources checked on October 27, 2026. Énergir, Participation guide, electricity – natural gas dual-energy program, in force April 1, 2026, revised June 18, 2026; Énergir, Discover dual energy and How to switch to dual energy pages; Hydro-Québec, Electricity Rates in force April 1, 2026, sections 2.5 and 2.29 to 2.44; Hydro-Québec, Rate DT and How Rate DT works pages; Hydro-Québec, Attestation de conformité biénergie, form 963-3410 (2026-02); Government of Québec, About the Chauffez vert program, updated July 6, 2026; Government of Canada, National Heat Pump Rebate Program, page dated October 23, 2026. Amounts shown are maximums and illustrations; only Énergir and Hydro-Québec confirm the aid granted and the rate that applies. All programs: our Rebates page.