The new LogisVert Efficient Homes Program

Receive up to $6,700 in financial assistance with the purchase of an efficient heat pump.*

*Certain conditions apply.

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1 833 396-1888

What is a heat pump?

A heat pump is an efficient electrical device that heats and cools your home. When you optimize its use, it consumes even less energy.

Did you know that, when it comes to heating your home in the colder months, a heat pump can be up to three times more efficient than baseboards? It’s an excellent way to save on your electricity bill.

In the warmer months, it’ll keep you just as cool as air-conditioning.

How does it work?

A heat hump doesn’t generate heat: it moves it around. That’s why it uses less energy than other heating devices.

Duration: 2 minutes 11 seconds
Video Transcript How a heat pump works

Video Transcript How a heat pump works

  • 00:07A heat pump is used to heat or cool a home.
  • 00:11Contrary to popular belief, a heat pump doesn't generate heat.
  • 00:14Instead, it moves it around.
  • 00:17In winter, even during a cold spell,
  • 00:19the atmosphere contains heat.
  • 00:22With the heat pump, heat can be absorbed
  • 00:24from the outdoor air and sent into your home.
  • 00:28In fact, there's energy in the air
  • 00:30down to as low as minus 273 degree Celsius.
  • 00:35The energy is collected by the outdoor unit,
  • 00:38which transfers it to the fluid circulating in the heat-pump loop.
  • 00:42This liquid is referred to as the refrigerant.
  • 00:45It can circulate as a liquid or a gas.
  • 00:48The refrigerant moves through the compressor,
  • 00:51which compresses the gas to warm it up.
  • 00:53When the heat is released indoors, the refrigerant cools down.
  • 00:57It becomes liquid and returns outdoors,
  • 01:00where the cycle starts again.
  • 01:02It's mainly the heat pump's compressor
  • 01:04that consumes electricity.
  • 01:06Although it consumes the same amount of energy
  • 01:08as an electric baseboard heater,
  • 01:10a heat pump produces up to three times more heat.
  • 01:14That's what makes the heat pump more energy efficient
  • 01:16when it's in heating mode.
  • 01:18Even when the temperature is below the freezing point,
  • 01:21a heat pump provides a good amount of heat
  • 01:23to meet a home's heating needs.
  • 01:27A heat-pump cycle can also be reversed
  • 01:29in order to cool your home.
  • 01:33In summer, the refrigerant absorbs heat
  • 01:35from the indoor air and discharges it outside.
  • 01:38The cooled refrigerant then returns indoors
  • 01:41to cool the home once more.
  • 01:45Heat pumps use highly reliable, cutting-edge technologies
  • 01:48to heat and cool homes.
  • 01:50When used optimally, a heat pump consumes less energy
  • 01:54and is more efficient than other types of heating equipment
  • 01:56available on the market.
  • 01:58An excellent way to reduce your electricity bill during Quebec winters.

Even in temperatures as low as -20°C, a low temperature heat pump (or cold climate heat pump) provides a good amount of heat to meet a large part of a home’s heating needs. When it’s cold, a heat pump combined with another heating system is one of the most cost-effective options on the market. Most air-source heat pumps have a minimal operating temperature below which they cannot operate. In newer models, it can vary between -15°C and -25°C. Below that temperature, an auxiliary system must be used to provide all the heating for the home.

Heat pumps: Some stand out.

Certain efficient heat pumps are more efficient during very cold weather. They’re called high-efficiency heat pumps.

High-efficiency heat pumps can:

  • generate savings of up to 40% on your electricity bills during heating season
  • provide more constant heat and greater comfort
  • reduce the strain on the power grid during peak demand periods, which benefits all Hydro‑Québec customers

As part of the LogisVert Efficient Homes Program, this type of heat pump is eligible for financial assistance of $120 per 1,000 BTU/h at −8°C or $140 per 1,000 BTU/h at −8°C if its installation includes caulking work.

Important information

A heat pump can help you achieve significant savings on your electricity bill. To maximize those savings, choose a heat pump that is the right size based on your heating and air-conditioning needs.

Here are a few articles to guide you:

Protect yourself!

Hydro-Québec is not associated with any heat pump provider and never conducts any solicitation by telephone or door-to-door. If an individual or company offers you unsolicited heat pump service on behalf of Hydro-Québec, it is likely a scam.

If you believe you are a victim of fraudulent solicitation:

See also