Boiler maintenance-plan marketing in Quebec

The Quebec market and its customers

Short answer: an electricity-dominated province where boiler companies serve a mix of electric, gas and remaining oil systems.

Statistics Canada reports that in 2023, 70% of Quebec households used electricity for primary heat, with natural gas at 5% and wood at 4%. Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Lévis and Saguenay are the main urban markets.

For boiler companies, that means a plan often has to cover several kinds of system: electric boilers, gas boilers where gas service exists, and in some homes oil systems, which is why Quebec ran an oil and propane replacement program until 2026. Writing clear inclusions for each is part of our plan design work.

Language: get it right first

Short answer: plan for French-first plan pages, reminders, invoices and ads for Quebec customers.

The OQLF sets out French-language obligations for businesses. Under the Charter of the French Language, French must be clearly predominant in commercial advertising, and websites and social content aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French. We don't give legal advice on language obligations, but in practice this means:

• the plan page is written in French first, not translated as an afterthought
• reminders by text and email go out in French to Quebec customers, with other languages added where useful
• plan terms, invoices and renewal notices are available in French
• your Google Business Profile and ads use French

For templates, our reminder sequences guide uses placeholders that translate cleanly, such as [Prénom] and [Nom de l'entreprise].

Seasons and climate

Short answer: cold, snowy winters and a long heating season, especially outside the St. Lawrence lowlands.

• St. Lawrence lowlands (Montréal to Québec City): main campaign from mid-August to late September; spring window in May and June.
• Regions further north, such as Saguenay: start in early August, as the season begins sooner.

Regulators to know

Short answer: the RBQ licenses contractors and oversees building safety; the CCQ handles construction-trade certification.

• The RBQ covers contractor licensing and building safety, including gas and pressure equipment.
• The CCQ handles competency certification for construction-industry workers.
• CNESST handles workplace health and safety.
• The Office de la protection du consommateur is useful to know when you write plan terms.

We link and summarise; compliance questions go to the regulator or your advisers.

Current programs your customers may ask about

Short answer: as of October 2026, Quebec programs focus on heat pumps and efficiency, and the oil-replacement program has closed.

• Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program offers grants for qualifying heat pumps and other measures.
• Chauffez vert, which helped replace oil and propane systems, did not accept applications after March 31, 2026.

Confirm details with the administrator before mentioning any program. For your plan, the practical point is that oil-boiler customers may be weighing a change; a yearly visit keeps you in that decision.

How we'd approach marketing in Quebec

Short answer: French first, system-specific inclusions and early reminders.

1. Build the plan page and all reminders in French from the start.
2. Tag customers by system type (electric, gas, oil) using service data and reporting.
3. Write plan inclusions per system type.
4. Start reminders in mid-August in the lowlands, earlier elsewhere.

Call, text or email to talk about a Quebec program; tell us in your first message which regions you serve and which of your customers prefer English, so the reminder plan reflects both.