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Switching from oil: the electrical side
What leaving oil heating changes for your electrical installation, the rebates read in October 2026, and who does what.
In short
This guide covers the electrical side of leaving oil heating: the heating moves onto the meter, and the installation has to keep up.
- Since December 31, 2023, in an existing building, an oil heating appliance can no longer be replaced with a similar appliance, nor repaired once it is more than 20 years old.
- Electric heating is the dominant load in a Québec home: the panel and the service have to be able to carry it.
- As of October 30, 2026, Chauffez vert’s aid and the federal program are closed. Laval (read October 30), Beloeil (October 12) and Sainte-Julie (October 11, 2026) offered municipal aid on those dates.
- We do the electrical side; dismantling the oil system falls to contractors holding the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s licences.
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Why people leave oil
Québec’s regulation on oil heating appliances came into force on December 31, 2021. Among other things, it bans these appliances in new residential construction.
Since December 31, 2023, it also prohibits replacing them with a similar appliance, or repairing them once they are more than 20 years old, in existing buildings.
What it changes at the panel
A 100 amp panel handles an oil-heated home very well, because the heaviest load of our climate isn’t on the meter.
Switching to electricity puts that load on the meter: electric heating is the dominant load in a Québec home, and it adds to everything else for four months.
An electric furnace, for example, has its own branch circuit, and the example in the RBQ’s guide is a 23 kW furnace that draws 101 A (2018 edition). See Electric furnace: the electrical side.
Our load calculator tells you whether the panel can keep up, or whether you first need to go to 200 amps.
Rebates read in October 2026
| Program | Status (date read) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chauffez vert (Québec), oil component | Closed: applications received no later than March 31, 2026 (read October 30, 2026) | Government of Québec |
| Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (Canada) | Closed: last day to apply was July 31, 2026 (read October 30, 2026) | Natural Resources Canada |
| City of Laval | $2,000 for a detached single-family home heated only with oil; until December 31, 2026, or sooner if the 2026 budget runs out (read October 30, 2026) | By-law L-12494 |
| City of Beloeil | Up to $1,000 for a detached single-family home, while funds last (checked October 12, 2026) | By-law 1798-00-2023 |
| City of Sainte-Julie | $750, depending on the funds voted each year (checked October 11, 2026) | By-law 1282 |
These amounts come from the sources named, on the date shown on each line; municipal aid can end when its funds run out.
In Laval, the amount depends on the building: for example $1,400 per unit for a duplex or triplex, and half that when oil is only one of the two sources of a dual-energy system.
Laval’s by-law requires the oil system to be fully dismantled, with the tank removed and disposed of at an appropriate site.
In Trois-Rivières, no municipal aid for leaving oil appeared on the City’s page in October 2026. See Electrician in Trois-Rivières (in French).
Leaving oil heating?
We do the electrical side, and with us, the load calculation comes first, before any proposal. The exact price is written in the quote.
Send my quote requestWho does what
Oil heating work is done by contractors holding the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s licences, who must declare the removal of the appliance online.
Laval’s by-law names two types of contractors: the electrical contractor (CMEQ licence, subclass 16) and the plumbing and heating contractor (CMMTQ licence).
What we do
We do the electrical side of the conversion: on the invoices required for municipal aid, ours carries our RBQ licence, 5815-0137-01.
On the electrical side, we supply the new heating and protect its circuits. The home’s load is calculated first: if the panel isn’t enough, the quote says so before the work. See Heat pump electrical requirements.
The quote is written and free. If we find something when we open up, we call you before going further.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Chauffez vert program end?
Its aid for converting oil or propane heating ended on March 31, 2026: applications had to be received by 11:59 p.m. that day.
What aid is left?
Among the programs read: Laval pays $2,000 for a detached single-family home, until December 31, 2026 or until the 2026 budget runs out (read October 30, 2026); Beloeil, up to $1,000 (checked October 12); Sainte-Julie, $750 (checked October 11, 2026). The federal program is closed.
Does the panel have to be replaced?
Not always. Electric heating becomes the home’s dominant load: the load calculation tells you whether the panel and the service can keep up.
Who removes the tank?
The dismantling is done by a contractor holding the RBQ’s licences, who declares the appliance’s removal online. For Laval’s or Beloeil’s aid, the tank is removed too. We do the electrical side.
Leaving oil heating?
We do the electrical side, starting with the load calculation; the exact price is in the quote.
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Get a quote: leaving oil heating
Sources
Consulted on October 30, 2026.
- Government of Québec, End of financial aid for converting oil or propane equipment, July 10, 2025 (in French)
- Natural Resources Canada, Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program (in French)
- City of Laval, By-law L-12494, administrative consolidation of January 14, 2026 (in French)
- City of Beloeil, By-law 1798-00-2023, checked October 12, 2026 (in French)
- City of Sainte-Julie, By-law 1282, administrative consolidation of April 15, 2026, checked October 11, 2026 (in French)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Quality control of electrical installation work (in French)