Hélène Baril writes on the La Presse website about the new energy efficiency drive led by Hydro-Québec, the provincial utility. The plan includes free smart thermostats for residential customers but there are also measures for commercial and industrial customers.
Free smart thermostats for everyone
The plan, presented as the most ambitious in Hydro-Québec’s history, aims to save 10% of all electricity consumed in Quebec, said Dave Rhéaume, Executive Vice-President and Chief Customer Officer of the government-owned corporation.
The $10 billion plan will be rolled out over ten years, with $2 billion available immediately to encourage customers to save energy. In addition to free smart thermostats for residential customers, the plan includes financial assistance for owners of commercial and industrial buildings to better manage heating, ventilation, and lighting.
Industrial customers will be encouraged to make greater efforts toward energy efficiency and will have access to technical and financial support services to carry out projects that will save energy.
The goal is to reduce total electricity consumption by 10%. That’s as if one in four homes stopped consuming electricity altogether, said David Rhéaume. There are 4 million homes in Quebec, only 60,000 of which are equipped with smart thermostats.
For Hydro-Québec, this $10 billion investment is justified because the cost of energy savings is three times lower than the cost of the new supplies Quebec needs.
The government-owned company estimates that its new supplies will cost 13 cents per kilowatt-hour, while each kilowatt-hour saved through its plan will cost 4 cents.
In addition to reducing Quebecers’ electricity bills, Hydro-Québec expects its energy efficiency plan to help support the economy. More than 5,000 jobs could be created in all regions of Quebec, the government-owned company estimates.
External link
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 