Customers who convert to the dual-energy heating system of Hydro-Québec and Énergir could have to pay a bill up to 32% higher than that of customers who heat with electricity, according to an Écohabitation study. .
Made public on Wednesday, the study was carried out at the request of environmental groups — Équiterre, Greenpeace, Nature Québec, Regroupement des organizations Environnementaux en Énergie — joined by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-Québec), which represents almost 18,000 workers in the energy sector.
“What stands out is that there is a better solution than dual-energy for the transition and which can be done at a lower cost,” summarizes Emmanuel Patola, responsible for the Environment Committee of CUPE-Québec. Remember that dual-energy heating systems use electricity as the main source of energy, but can be powered by fuel as a back-up source in times of high demand.
According to the study, the annual energy bills would be on average between 20% and 23% higher for dual-energy with a standard heat pump than for their all-electric equivalent with thermal accumulator. A heat accumulator is a technology that stores heat to release it when needed, providing more flexibility to handle high demands.
What emerges is that there is a better solution than dual energy for the transition and which can be done at a lower cost.
Écohabitation has modulated its estimates according to several criteria. For example, when dual-energy systems are powered by renewable natural gas rather than standard natural gas, costs increase more compared to their electric equivalents.
“When distributors came up with the idea of decarbonizing heating, we thought that was good news. But when we looked more closely at what was proposed, we realized that it was an energy transition that is not one. In fact, we continue in the same way [celle des hydrocarbures] until 2050,” he explains.
In this period of high inflation, the government must reject “false solutions that increase the financial burden of Quebecers,” believe the groups that commissioned the study. “Inflation and climate change were two of Quebecers’ top priorities during the last election. The dual-energy agreement does not solve either of the two crises,” argues Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, climate policy analyst at Équiterre. “There is no advantage for the consumer to switch to dual energy. It would cost him more and it would be more polluting than an all-electric system, ”he continues.
The groups believe that the government should simply “withdraw its support for dual energy in buildings”. The Régie de l’énergie ratified the agreement between Hydro-Québec and Énergir last May. Organizations have since called for a review of the decision; hearings on the matter are taking place until October 28, 2022.