Heat pump vs electric baseboards: real savings in Québec
Step 1: quick heat-loss estimate →Estimate only: region, floor area, insulation and basement. Final validation afterwards with the full calculator.
Does a heat pump really cost three times less than baseboards?
No, not on the annual bill. Hydro-Québec writes that a heat pump uses “up to three times less electricity than baseboards for the same heat output”, but that using one “can reduce heating-related electricity consumption by 25 to 40%, compared with electric baseboards only” (Hydro-Québec). Its heat pump page likewise advertises “up to 40% of heating costs” (Hydro-Québec).
The two figures do not contradict each other. “Three times” describes the unit when it runs in good conditions: at 8 °C, an air-to-air heat pump is estimated to release three watts of heat for each watt of electricity consumed (Québec.ca). The 25 to 40% describes the whole season, with the cold, the backup heat and the rooms the heat pump does not heat.
How much does baseboard heating cost on Rate D in 2026?
About $1,397 per year for Hydro-Québec’s average house, before taxes. A single-family house without a pool, spa or air conditioning uses 22,000 kWh per year on average, 57% of it for space heating (Hydro-Québec), or 12,540 kWh. Baseboards turn each kWh into one kWh of heat; at the Rate D second-tier price (11.142¢/kWh), that gives 12,540 × 0.11142 = $1,397.
- Two prices : 7.065¢/kWh for energy consumed up to 40 kWh multiplied by the number of days in the period, and 11.142¢/kWh for the rest (Electricity Rates 2026, article 2.5).
- The threshold is calculated over the period, not day by day : for a 62-day period, 62 × 40 = 2,480 kWh at the first price, the rest at the second (Hydro-Québec, Rate D).
- System access charge : 46.154¢ per day, regardless of consumption (Hydro-Québec).
Which kWh price should you use to calculate the savings: 7.065¢ or 11.142¢?
Mostly 11.142¢, the second-tier price. The heat pump removes kWh from the top of your consumption: as long as the period still exceeds 40 kWh per day on average, each kWh saved is billed at the higher price. Hydro-Québec’s average house uses 22,000 kWh ÷ 365 = 60.3 kWh per day on average over the year (site calculation), and more in winter.
If part of the kWh saved fell below the threshold, it would be worth 7.065¢. For the “central or multi-zone” scenario below, the savings would then be $391 instead of $617 if all the kWh saved were at the first price (lower bound, site calculation).
How much can you save? Illustrative scenario
From $363 to $617 per year in this scenario, or 26% to 44% of the heating cost, depending on the share of the need covered by the heat pump. These are illustrative figures calculated by the site, not a forecast for your home.
| Case | Share of the need covered by the heat pump | Seasonal COP | Electricity for heating (kWh/yr) | Cost (11.142¢/kWh) | Savings per year | Savings (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric baseboards only (reference) | 0% | 1.00 | 12,540 | $1,397 | $0 | 0% |
| A wall unit covering half the need | 50% | 2.08 | 9,283 | $1,034 | $363 | 26% |
| Central or multi-zone covering 85% of the need | 85% | 2.08 | 7,003 | $780 | $617 | 44% |
| “3 times less” taken literally (theoretical) | 100% | 3.00 | 4,180 | $466 | $931 | 67% |
Assumptions : heat need = 22,000 kWh × 57% = 12,540 kWh per year (Hydro-Québec); baseboards: 1 kWh of heat per kWh of electricity; seasonal COP 2.08 = HSPF 7.1 ÷ 3.412, the market minimum in Region 5 (NRCan), as in the cost calculator; share covered of 50% and 85% = site assumptions, because no public data gives this share (it depends on the model, the capacity, the layout of the house and the climate); the rest of the need is supplied by the baseboards; Rate D second-tier price (Hydro-Québec); before taxes; system access charge unchanged; air conditioning and maintenance not counted. Electricity = need × (share ÷ COP + (1 − share)).
The “central or multi-zone” case (44%) is slightly above Hydro-Québec’s “up to 40%”: the Region 5 HSPF is a rating set for a climate similar to Ottawa’s (NRCan), not a measurement in your home. The last case shows what “three times less” would give over the whole season (67%); it is not realistic in Québec, for the reasons explained below.
Your home : enter your consumption, your location, the model’s HSPF and the share covered in the cost and payback calculator. For the rebate: LogisVert calculation at −8 °C.
Why are real savings lower than “three times less”?
Because the heat pump does not heat the whole house, all winter, with the same efficiency.
- COP drops as it gets colder : from 2.0 to 5.4 at 8 °C, but from 1.1 to 3.7 at −8 °C, because the heat pump must work across a larger temperature difference between indoors and outdoors (NRCan).
- Backup heat is needed in deep cold : air-source heat pumps have a minimum operating temperature, between −15 °C and −25 °C for recent models (NRCan). Below it, backup heat (baseboards, a heat storage unit or other) must take over to heat the whole house (Hydro-Québec).
- Standard or cold climate : standard heat pumps generally heat down to −8 °C, low-temperature models down to −20 °C (Québec.ca).
- A single wall unit does not replace all the baseboards : it mainly heats the open area where it is installed; closed bedrooms and the basement are often still heated by baseboards. That is why the scenario compares 50% and 85% of the need (site assumptions).
- The price does not change : each kWh saved is worth at most 11.142¢, and the system access charge (46.154¢ per day) stays the same (Hydro-Québec).
How do you keep baseboards as backup without losing the savings?
Set the baseboards 2 to 3 °C lower than the heat pump, for example 21 °C on the heat pump and 18 or 19 °C on the baseboards: they will only take over in deep cold (Hydro-Québec).
- Choose Heat mode in winter, never Auto, which could start the air conditioning (Hydro-Québec).
- Do not turn it off: letting it run continuously keeps the baseboards from working harder (Hydro-Québec).
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow and ice (Hydro-Québec).
Which heat pump to replace baseboards?
The one that covers the largest share of your need in cold weather, not the most powerful on paper. Hydro-Québec recommends an ENERGY STAR cold-climate model and a capacity suited to the home’s floor area and heating profile (Hydro-Québec). To check a model’s capacity at −15 °C and its COP: how to evaluate a heat pump. The LogisVert rebate depends on the capacity at −8 °C: LogisVert rebate calculation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I keep my electric baseboards if I install a heat pump?
Yes, as backup heat. Below the heat pump’s minimum operating temperature, backup heat (electric baseboards, a heat storage unit or other) must take over to heat the whole house. Hydro-Québec advises setting the baseboards 2 to 3 °C lower than the heat pump so they are only used in deep cold.
Does a heat pump reduce the system access charge?
No. On Rate D, the system access charge of 46.154¢ per day applies regardless of consumption: only the energy part of the bill goes down.
Does a “cold climate” model change the calculation?
It increases the share of the winter covered by the heat pump. According to Hydro-Québec, ENERGY STAR Cold Climate models can meet a large part of heating needs down to about −20 °C, and some high-end units operate down to about −25 °C, with reduced efficiency. No public data gives the exact share for your home: vary the share covered and the HSPF in the cost calculator.
Sources
- Hydro-Québec, Electricity rates in effect April 1, 2026 (article 2.5, Rate D) and the page Rate D. Checked October 27, 2026.
- Hydro-Québec, Using your heat pump in winter and Wall-mounted or central heat pump. Checked October 27, 2026.
- Hydro-Québec, heat pump use and maintenance guide (pilot project, social housing). Checked October 27, 2026.
- Hydro-Québec, consumption by type of home. Checked October 27, 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, Heating and cooling with a heat pump (page modified December 24, 2025). Checked October 27, 2026.
- Québec.ca, Heat pump (page updated December 17, 2025). Checked October 27, 2026.
See also: the cost calculator · the LogisVert rebate · the 2026–2027 rebates · heating oil · all tools.