Living in Quebec, whether in Montreal, Laval or Mont-Laurier, means adapting to the heat and to the cold. And it gets very cold here in winter. If you are not paying attention, your heating can hand you a steep Hydro-Québec bill. Here are three mistakes worth avoiding.
Mistake 1: letting the heat escape. Several sources of heat loss are easy to overlook, and closing them cuts your winter electricity use without costing you any comfort. Windows come first. If they are old, or if the house itself has shifted and settled over the years, they may no longer be airtight enough to keep the cold out. Hold your hand near the frame: if you feel cold air, seal it. Caulking or a tight plastic film both work. Neither is especially attractive, which is what heavy curtains are for, and they add a second layer of insulation when closed. More in the same vein, most of it free: ten easy ways to keep warm this winter.
The other common escape route is the fireplace. Check in the fall that the damper closes tightly, because an open flue pulls heated air straight up the chimney all winter.
Mistake 2: mismanaging the thermostat. A good heating system and a recent programmable thermostat do not exempt you from this one. A single degree makes a real difference to the bill, so the setting is worth getting right. Hydro-Québec’s guidance is about 20 °C in living areas during the day and 17 °C overnight or when the house is empty, and going above that is where the money goes. Program the drop for the hours you are at work and the rise for the evening. Then be patient: put a sweater on when you get home and let the rooms come up, rather than pushing the thermostat well past where you want it. Electronic thermostats on their own can cut heating consumption by up to 10%.
Mistake 3: forgetting the filter. An excellent heat pump does not protect you either. The filter has to stay clean. When it clogs, the system works harder for the same result and you pay for the difference. Replacing one is inexpensive and takes minutes, and it is the easiest saving in this article. The rest of the routine, including the two professional visits a year that keep a system at its rated efficiency, is worth booking at the same time.
If your bills are climbing and you cannot see why, talk to our specialists. Often the fix is smaller than people expect. If you are thinking of replacing the system instead, start with converting to electric heating in Quebec.
