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Hilo thermostats on baseboard heaters
What Hilo is, what its thermostats cost on Rate Flex D, who installs them, and what an electrician does for a compatible thermostat.
In short
This guide covers Hilo thermostats on electric baseboard heaters: what they cost, who installs them, and what falls to your electrician.
- Hilo is Hydro-Québec’s smart home service.
- On Rate Flex D, Hilo smart thermostats are offered at $0, installation included, under certain conditions.
- Hilo-brand thermostats are installed by a master electrician appointed by Hilo; they aren’t shipped to your home.
- For a Hilo-compatible thermostat from another brand, installation goes to an electrical contractor: that’s what we do.
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What Hilo is
Hilo is Hydro-Québec’s smart home service. Its smart thermostats are controlled from your phone and turn the heat down when you’re asleep or away.
Hilo offers thermostats for electric baseboards and convectors, central heating, electric heated floors and low voltage, either Hilo-brand or compatible.
With Rate Flex D, the rate is reduced all winter, except during peak events. Hydro-Québec mentions possible savings of up to 20% on the winter bill.
The Rate Flex D offer
| What Hydro-Québec offers | The conditions |
|---|---|
| Hilo smart thermostats at $0, installation included | Rate Flex D; certain conditions apply; 12-month trial period |
| A bonus of up to $210 per eligible compatible device | Hilo program participants; 12-month commitment to take part in automation during peak events; limited number of eligible devices |
These offers come from Hydro-Québec and Hilo, read on October 30, 2026.
If you cancel before the end of the 12-month agreement, the remaining credit balance and the subsidy received may have to be repaid, according to Hydro-Québec.
Who installs what
Hilo-brand thermostats must be installed by a master electrician appointed by Hilo. They aren’t shipped to the house: the electrician brings them to the appointment.
The first installation is free in exchange for the 12-month commitment; an additional visit is charged.
A Hilo-compatible thermostat from another brand is installed like any baseboard thermostat: it is electrical work, which in Québec is reserved for electrical contractors.
A Hilo-compatible thermostat to install?
We install Sinopé models and Hilo-compatible thermostats. The exact price is written in the quote.
Send my quote requestBaseboard wattage
A thermostat must be able to carry at least the total of the baseboards it controls, and each enclosed heated room has its own, according to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s guide (2018 edition of the Code).
That is why we note the wattage of each baseboard at the visit and choose the thermostat accordingly.
A heated floor takes a different thermostat: see How a heated floor thermostat works.
Preventive replacement of some Hilo thermostats
On November 9, 2026, Hydro-Québec announced the preventive replacement of some first-generation Hilo thermostats for electric baseboard heaters and fan convector units. This replacement is free, and Hydro-Québec contacts the affected customers itself.
What you can do in the meantime, and how to have them replaced without waiting for your appointment, is explained in our guide Hilo thermostats: have them replaced without the wait.
What we do
We work with Hilo and we are a Sinopé certified partner.
We install Sinopé models and Hilo-compatible thermostats; if you prefer another compatible model, we install that too.
Replacing baseboard heaters and thermostats is among the jobs we do most often. See Baseboard heaters and thermostats.
Frequently asked questions
How does a Hilo thermostat work?
It is controlled from your phone and turns the heat down when you’re asleep or away. With Hilo, it also takes part in automation during Hydro-Québec’s peak events.
Are Hilo thermostats really $0?
On Rate Flex D, Hydro-Québec offers them at $0, installation included, under certain conditions, with a 12-month trial period (read October 30, 2026).
Who installs Hilo thermostats?
Hilo-brand ones, a master electrician appointed by Hilo. A compatible thermostat from another brand, an electrical contractor like us.
Is there a rebate for a compatible thermostat?
As of October 30, 2026, Hydro-Québec offers Hilo program participants a bonus of up to $210 per eligible compatible device, in exchange for a 12-month commitment to take part in automation during peaks. The number of eligible devices is limited.
Is Hydro-Québec replacing Hilo thermostats?
Yes: some first-generation Hilo thermostats, for baseboard heaters and fan convector units, at no charge, according to its November 9, 2026 news release. Affected customers get an email or a letter. The details are in our guide Hilo thermostats: have them replaced without the wait.
A Hilo-compatible thermostat to install?
We note the wattage of each baseboard and choose the thermostat accordingly; the exact price is in the quote.
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Get a quote: thermostats
Sources
Consulted on October 30, 2026.
- Hydro-Québec, Saving in winter (Flex D and Hilo) (in French)
- Hilo, Thermostats (in French)
- Hilo, help center: Hilo products installation
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Quality control of electrical installation work (in French)
- Hydro-Québec, news release of November 9, 2026 on the preventive replacement of Hilo thermostats, read on November 10, 2026 (in French)
Read next
- How a heated floor thermostat works
- Electric furnace: the electrical side
- Smart 3-way switch: the neutral wire comes first
- Dedicated circuits: which appliances need one?
- Baseboard heater not working
- Baseboard heaters and thermostats
- Sinopé thermostat: choosing and installing one
- Flex D rate and winter credit: what changes
- Hilo thermostats: have them replaced without the wait