Since his appointment to the post of Minister of Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon has repeated on all the platforms that “we consume far too much electricity, as residents”. It therefore invites Hydro-Québec to think about measures to restrict the consumption of residential customers and thus free up energy for businesses. This statement is enough to leave you speechless! First, because it ignores the reality of a large part of the population who struggle to heat themselves properly because of the cost of the energy bill. Next, because it is attacking Hydro-Québec’s mission head-on, without prior collective debate.
It’s the same refrain over and over again, Quebecers consume too much energy. This moral judgment hides a reality about which we speak very little. Indeed, although electricity rates are among the lowest in North America, many people have difficulty paying their electricity bill. Currently, one household in seven is in a situation of fuel poverty in Quebec.
This means that 16% of the population has difficulty meeting its energy needs or manages to do so to the detriment of covering other essential needs, such as food. This number should increase, because the cost of energy continues to rise, and no law obliges homeowners to do the work necessary to maintain good thermal comfort.
The energy consumption of Quebec households is not simply a question of “good” individual behavior. A significant number of households consume a lot of energy because they live in poorly insulated homes. In fact, a dwelling in poor condition can cause its occupants to over-consume energy or to restrict themselves, or even to deprive themselves of heating. What power do tenants have over this situation?
If the minister really wants to encourage households to save energy, he cannot limit himself to asking them to lower the heating (already too low for many people). It must implement thermal envelope insulation measures for residential buildings. The response to a social issue of this magnitude must be collective.
How many heated spas to accost a mine?
If the minister is not shy about lecturing Quebecers on their energy consumption, he seems less quick to do so when the time comes to talk about businesses. And yet, there would be things to say! Before making citizens over-responsible, we must remember that certain sectors of activity consume much more energy than the residential sector and that economic development is largely responsible for the increase in electricity demand.
For example, the electrification of transport, data centers, cryptocurrencies and greenhouse cultivation (which includes ornamental plants and cannabis) generate significant pressure on electrical needs. For example, by 2029, Hydro-Québec forecasts that electricity demand for data centers will reach 4.2 TWh per year, the equivalent of the consumption of 250,000 homes or the production of Romaine-2 power station.
When we hear the minister’s speech on Quebecers’ alleged waste of energy, we get the impression that everyone has a heated spa on their balcony. We should perhaps remember that energy is not a luxury. It is essential for heating, eating, bathing, being healthy, working and studying. Many studies have shown that cold and heating problems increase the risk of developing diseases and excess mortality. We understand the government’s desire to develop Quebec’s economy. However, we believe that this should not be done to the detriment of the health of the population.
Hydro-Québec was created to provide Quebecers with electricity service at the lowest rates compatible with sound financial management. Its mission was to guarantee the accessibility of an essential public service. In 1981, the government modified it to give it a commercial vocation and oblige it to make a profit. Today, by encouraging Hydro-Québec to force Quebecers to reduce their consumption in order to favor businesses, the minister is distorting the state corporation even further. Thus, we invite the government to review its priorities to place the improvement of the living conditions of all at the heart of its action.