Quebecers need to make major cuts to their electricity consumption: expert
Quebec is lagging behind when it comes to energy efficiency in our homes, and there are calls to change that.
With 24 solar panels on his roof, Jose Legris is on his way to becoming energy-independent, and his home is considered to be net zero.
Unfortunately, his situation is not the norm.
"Because we have so much energy, it's cheap," said HEC professor Pierre-Olivier Pineau. "So basically we just consume without asking ourselves questions."
Pineau says Quebecers need to make major cuts to their consumption.
"We are around 200 gigajoules per year per person," he said. "In Europe they are between 100 and 150 gigajoules per person. And so that's around 25 to 50 per cent less than our consumption level in Europe with equivalent standards of living."
Others are also calling for Quebec to prioritize energy efficiency.
"Rather than upping supply, you can down demand," said Emmanuel Cosgrove, director of the non-profit Eco Home.
Eco Home helps make homes more energy efficient. If homeowners reduce energy consumption, Cosgrove said, Quebec won't have to spend millions building new energy infrastructure.
"We're just saying, can't we just look at the most cost-effective measures for us to cope with peak and overall energy consumption of the province," said Cosgrove.
Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon has been critical of Quebecers' consumption habits, and Hydro-Quebec says energy consumption will continue to increase, which is a major concern, particularly during peak hours.
"This is 6 to 9 in the morning [and] between 4 and 8 p.m.," said Hydro-Quebec spokesperson Cendrix Bouchard. "At the end of the day when everybody tends to use electricity at the same time."
The crown corporation does have incentive programs to improve residential energy efficiency, and Hydro-Quebec said its rate increase will remain at three per cent.
Pineau doesn't see how that's possible, considering Hydro's ambitious 2035 plan.
"It's not possible when you look at the amount of investment Hydro-Quebec wants to make," he said. "You can't just pay for that investment with a three per cent rate increase in residential rates so that we'll have to change."
He added that Quebecers can decrease their energy consumption while enjoying the same lifestyle as the province continues to examine how it can increase its energy supply.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving 'corrective action' for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Hundreds have applied for this 'adventurer' job in Banff National Park
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Ottawa police investigating death of a gosling in Kanata
Ottawa police are investigating after someone allegedly stomped on a gosling in Kanata. Police say it appears that Canada geese laid eggs in the area, 'and on May 21, a suspect stomped on one of the hatched babies.'
Treasury Board president urges managers to be flexible on exemptions for new 3-day office mandate
The president of the Treasury Board is standing by the federal government's new hybrid office mandate for federal public servants, but is urging managers to be flexible for staff requiring exemptions.