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Cost of Living

Winter electricity bill: the free programs for modest incomes, and how to smooth your bill right now

Quebec offers modest-income households free energy-efficiency work — but the 2026-2027 spots are already taken. Until next season, Hydro-Québec's equalized payments plan avoids the big winter bill shocks.

Vieauqc TeamAugust 24, 2026

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There are free programs for modest incomes. The Éconologis program offers modest-income households — owners and tenants alike — a free visit from an energy-efficiency…
But for 2026-2027, the spots are already all taken. This is the key point not to miss: at the time of writing, Éconologis registration for the 2026-2027 season is…
What to do: aim for next season. Éconologis is a seasonal program (October 1 to March 31) that reopens registration every year.…

In winter, the bill climbs. In Quebec, heating is mostly electric, and the Hydro-Québec bill peaks in winter. Two things are worth knowing: free programs for modest-income households, and a tool anyone can turn on right now to avoid nasty surprises.

There are free programs for modest incomes. The Éconologis program offers modest-income households — owners and tenants alike — a free visit from an energy-efficiency advisor and light work (weatherstripping, draft-proofing). Since 2026, a Hydro-Québec component adds a free heat pump for 20,000 modest-income households, at no cost, turnkey. Eligibility depends on household income, by household size.

But for 2026-2027, the spots are already all taken. This is the key point not to miss: at the time of writing, Éconologis registration for the 2026-2027 season is closed, and the free heat pump offer has reached its cap of 20,000 households. Demand was high and the spots went fast. So you cannot sign up for this winter.

What to do: aim for next season. Éconologis is a seasonal program (October 1 to March 31) that reopens registration every year. Bookmark the two official pages — Éconologis and the free heat pumps — and register as soon as it opens: these free spots disappear quickly.

In the meantime, you can smooth your bill right now. Hydro-Québec's Equalized Payments Plan spreads your estimated annual consumption into equal monthly amounts. The result: instead of small bills in summer and big bills in winter, you pay roughly the same amount each month. Enrolling is free and done from your Customer Space. It is the simplest tool to avoid being caught off guard by the January bill.

If you are struggling to pay. Do not let an unpaid bill pile up. Contact Hydro-Québec to arrange a payment plan: it is always better to call before the due date than to wait for a notice. Community organizations (ACEF) also offer free budgeting help.

Good to know for newcomers. Two concrete moves: turn on the equalized payments plan this fall to spread out the winter bill, and set a reminder to register for Éconologis as soon as spots reopen next year. For everything about your electricity account, our guide to opening and managing your Hydro-Québec account covers the basics.

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Red Seal bonus: it will now be taxable in Quebec

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Vieauqc TeamAugust 13, 2026

Cost of Living

Red Seal bonus: it will now be taxable in Quebec

On August 12, Quebec harmonized its tax system with federal measures: the Red Seal Success Bonus will be included in income and subject to source withholding.

An August 12 announcement. Quebec's Ministry of Finance has announced the harmonization of the Quebec tax system with certain federal measures introduced by Bill C-31, along with measures made public in a federal government release of July 23, as set out in the Ministry of Finance's full release. This Quebec news page is available in French only. The Red Seal Success Bonus. The change that will affect the most individuals concerns the Red Seal Success Bonus: this bonus will now be included in the recipient's income in the year it is received, and will be subject to source withholding of Quebec income tax at the time of payment, as stated in the Ministry of Finance release. In practice: if you receive this federal bonus, a Quebec tax amount will be withheld directly from the payment, and the amount will be added to your taxable income for the year. What is the Red Seal Bonus? The Red Seal is a federal certification for skilled trades (electrician, welder, cook, etc.). The Red Seal…

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Vieauqc TeamAugust 13, 2026

Cost of Living

Vehicle registration: a $50 reduction starting September 1, 2026

The Quebec government cuts vehicle registration fees by $50 for 12 months, starting September 1, 2026.

A $50 reduction. Starting September 1, 2026, renewing your vehicle registration will cost $50 less. The Quebec government announced this reduction in registration fees to help drivers cope with higher fuel prices. The announcement is available in French only. A temporary 12-month measure. The reduction applies when you renew your registration and stays in effect from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027, according to the SAAQ newsroom. After that date, registration fees return to their usual amount. Nothing to do. The reduction is applied automatically at renewal, whether you go through SAAQclic online or a SAAQ service point. You don't need to ask for it or add anything to your file. One of three measures. This reduction is part of a package announced in May 2026 to ease the cost of living, along with the removal of QST from certain basic food and hygiene products and help of up to $200 for households most affected by higher grocery and energy costs. At the time, the government…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 27, 2026

Cost of Living

Canada Child Benefit 2026-2027: up to $8,157 per child

The federal payment to families rises with the July 20, 2026 deposit. Here are the new maximums — and the one thing you must not forget to keep receiving it.

Do you have a child in Canada? On top of Quebec's Family Allowance, there is a separate federal benefit: the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), a tax-free monthly payment from the Canada Revenue Agency to families with a child under 18. Starting with the July 2026 payment, the amounts go up. Every July, the CCB is recalculated and indexed — adjusted to the cost of living. For the benefit year now beginning, the federal government announced an increase: the maximum rises to $8,157 per year for each child under 6 and $6,883 for each child aged 6 to 17, according to the July 20, 2026 Employment and Social Development Canada news release. That's up to $160 more per young child and $135 more per older child than a year ago. The amount YOU get depends on your income. A family with an adjusted family net income below $38,237 receives the maximum for each child. Above that threshold, the benefit is gradually reduced, as the CRA's How much you can get page explains. Two neighbouring families almost…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 27, 2026

Cost of Living

RAMQ Drug Plan: Maximum Premium Rises to $789 for 2026-2027

As of July 1, 2026, the public drug plan's rates have changed. What someone covered by RAMQ pays, explained simply.

In Quebec, having drug coverage is mandatory. If you don't have access to private insurance (through your job or your spouse's), you're covered by the public prescription drug plan run by RAMQ. Every July 1, its rates are adjusted — and on July 1, 2026, they went up. The maximum annual premium rises to $789. According to RAMQ's June 30, 2026 announcement, the maximum premium climbs from $766 to $789 per person (a 3% increase). Note: this is a maximum. You pay between $0 and $789 depending on your net family income — low-income people pay nothing. This premium isn't paid at the counter: it's calculated once a year, when you file your Quebec income tax return, and the current figures are set out on RAMQ's Rates in effect page. Beyond the premium, there's what you pay at the pharmacy. Each month you buy medication, you first pay a deductible (the first $21.25), then 30% coinsurance on the rest of the bill. It's all capped: your maximum monthly contribution is $105.25. Once you hit that…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 22, 2026

Cost of Living

Quebec income tax 2026: the 2.05% indexation that lightens your paycheque

Tax brackets and the basic personal amount rise 2.05% in 2026 — $863M of relief for taxpayers. Here's what it changes in practice.

Every year, Quebec "indexes" its tax system: it nudges the thresholds upward to keep pace with rising prices. If you've just arrived, it's a quiet piece of good news that touches almost every paycheque. The indexation. For the 2026 taxation year, the indexing rate is 2.05%. That figure reflects the rise in consumer prices seen in Quebec the previous year. In practice, most tax credits, thresholds and benefits go up by the same amount. The basic personal amount. This is the slice of income on which you pay no provincial tax at all. In 2026 it reaches $18,952, according to the official parameters of the tax system. In other words, the first $18,952 you earn in the year is not taxed by Quebec. The brackets. Quebec's income tax is progressive: the rate climbs in slices. For 2026, the indexed brackets are: 14% up to $54,345, then 19% from $54,345 to $108,680, 24% from $108,680 to $132,245, and 25.75% above that. Because the thresholds rose, the same portion of your salary can fall into…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 22, 2026

Cost of Living

Groceries in 2026: nearly $1,000 more per family — how to budget

Food prices are set to rise 4–6% in 2026, with Quebec above the national average. What that means when you build your first grocery budget.

When you settle in Quebec, groceries are often the first big budget surprise. And 2026 offers no relief: prices keep climbing, a bit faster here than elsewhere in the country. The forecast. Canada's annual food price report projects a 4% to 6% rise in food prices in 2026. For a family of four, the yearly grocery bill would reach roughly $17,572, up to $994.63 more than in 2025. Quebec above the average. After a fairly quiet year, Quebec this time is expected to post an increase above the national average. So don't assume the prices in a national flyer reflect what you'll actually pay here. What's pushing prices up. Meat leads the way: beef could climb up to 7%, driven by smaller herds and trade tensions with the United States. Tariffs and climate-related crop disruptions add to the pressure. An increase that compounds. These percentages stack year after year. That's why today's basket already weighs far more than it did a few years ago — a reminder that "inflation is slowing" does…

Read the full story →Go deeper: Immigrant Family Budget in Quebec: The Real Numbers

Vieauqc TeamJuly 22, 2026

Cost of Living

QPP 2026: the earnings ceiling rises to $74,600 — what changes on your paycheque

The Quebec Pension Plan earnings ceiling rises to $74,600 in 2026, with a maximum contribution of $4,479.30. A breakdown for new workers.

On your first paycheque in Quebec, a "QPP" line (Quebec Pension Plan) trims your take-home pay. It's a mandatory contribution that funds your future retirement pension. The parameters change every year — here are the 2026 figures. The earnings ceiling. The maximum pensionable earnings (MPE) rises to $74,600 in 2026. Above that amount, you no longer contribute to the base plan. The starting exemption. Your first $3,500 of work income is exempt. The contribution is therefore calculated on the slice of salary between $3,500 and $74,600. The rate. As an employee, you pay 6.3% on that slice — that is, 5.3% for the base plan plus 1% for the first additional contribution. The maximum employee contribution reaches $4,479.30 for the year. Your employer pays an equal share on their side. Higher salaries. If you earn more than $74,600, a second additional contribution of 4% applies to the slice between $74,600 and $85,000, up to a maximum of $416. Above $85,000, you stop contributing. Why…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 19, 2026

Cost of Living

Family Allowance 2026: up to $3,068 per child

Quebec's Family Allowance rises 2.05% in 2026. Here's what families with children get — and why you usually don't have to apply.

Do you have children in Quebec? One of the most important financial supports for your budget is called Family Allowance — a benefit paid by Retraite Québec (the public body that manages pensions and family benefits) to nearly every family with a child under 18. In 2026, the amounts go up. Every January, the amounts are indexed — meaning adjusted to the cost of living to keep pace with inflation. For 2026, Quebec's tax-system indexation rate is 2.05%, so Family Allowance rises by that same percentage. Here are the concrete figures for 2026. The maximum amount is $3,068 per child per year (up from $3,006 in 2025), and the minimum is $1,221 per child (up from $1,196). You receive an amount somewhere between those two ends. The official figures are laid out on Retraite Québec's Family Allowance amounts page. The amount YOU get depends on your situation. Three things drive it: your family income, the number of children in your care, and your marital status. The higher your income, the…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 28, 2026

Cost of Living

Employment Insurance 2026: what the federal government takes off your Quebec paycheque

A rate of $1.30 per $100, a maximum insurable earnings of $68,900 and a maximum benefit of $729 a week: the 2026 numbers for Quebec workers.

Employment Insurance (EI) is a federal program, so it covers workers everywhere in Canada, Quebec included. It's a small amount taken off every paycheque — your premium (cotisation) — that entitles you, if you lose your job through no fault of your own, to a weekly benefit (prestation) while you look for work. Because the program is federal, it's Ottawa, not Quebec, that sets its rules and rates. But Quebec has its own, lower rate than the rest of Canada. In 2026, a Quebec worker pays $1.30 per $100 of insurable earnings, compared with $1.63 elsewhere in the country. The reason is straightforward: Quebec runs its own maternity, paternity and parental benefits through the QPIP (Quebec Parental Insurance Plan / RQAP). That portion isn't covered by federal EI in Quebec, so your EI rate is reduced accordingly, as the federal commission confirmed when it set the 2026 rate. The maximum insurable earnings (MIE) rises to $68,900 in 2026. This is the salary ceiling you pay premiums on: above…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 19, 2026

Cost of Living

QPIP 2026: your premium drops — and here's what it pays for

The parental-insurance premium taken off your paycheque drops in 2026, while the covered income rises to $103,000.

Look closely at your next pay stub. A small line labelled "QPIP" shows up every time you get paid. QPIP is the Québec Parental Insurance Plan — a public program that pays income to parents during maternity, paternity, parental, or adoption leave. In 2026, the premium (the amount taken off your wages to fund the plan) goes down. By how much? The government cut the premium rates by roughly 13% as of January 1, 2026, according to the official Québec government announcement. For a salaried worker, the rate drops to 0.430% of your work income, with a maximum annual contribution of $442.90, as shown on the QPIP premium page. In practice: a few more dollars in your pocket each year, with nothing to do on your end. The "maximum insurable earnings" goes up, though. That's the salary ceiling used to calculate your premiums and, later, your benefits. It rises from $98,000 to $103,000 for 2026, per the QPIP news release. A higher ceiling means a future leave can be calculated on a larger share…

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Vieauqc TeamAugust 15, 2026

Cost of Living

The GST credit has a new name — and a new amount: +25% with the groceries benefit

The CGEB replaces the GST/HST credit as of July 2026. Same rules, payments boosted 25% — and one exception aimed squarely at newcomers.

If you were getting the GST/HST credit every three months, stop looking for that name on your bank statement: as of July 2026, it's been replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). The change isn't just a label — the amount goes up. What changes: +25%. The previous credit is boosted by 25% for the next five years, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. More than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians are covered. The first payment of the enhanced benefit went out on July 3, 2026 and covers July, August and September, per the CRA payment dates. A one-time top-up payment was also issued in early June, during the transition. What doesn't change. The mechanics are essentially identical: same general eligibility rules, same calculation based on adjusted family net income and family situation, same quarterly payments from the Canada Revenue Agency. As a rough guide, the threshold sits below $60,012 for a single person with no children, and below $82,952 for a…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 17, 2026

Cost of Living

Back-to-school: Quebec pays $127 per child, no application, whatever your income

The school supplies supplement is paid automatically with the Family Allowance. Who qualifies, and what it doesn't cover.

Before the back-to-school bill lands, some good news: Quebec pays a school supplies supplement of $127 per child for the 2026-2027 school year. It's paid every year in July — July 2 this year — and it's granted regardless of family income, according to Retraite Québec. The amount was adjusted for inflation, an increase of about 2.05% over last year, as MTL Blog reports. What makes it unusual: there's nothing to do. Two features set it apart from most benefits. First, no form, no application: it's paid automatically to families already receiving the Family Allowance from Retraite Québec, alongside the regular payment. Second — and this is rare — family income is not a factor: the amount is granted regardless of what you earn. Who qualifies. The child must be between 4 and 16 years old as of September 30, 2026 (up to 17 for a child receiving a supplement for handicapped children). Under shared custody (a 40% to 60% split), each parent receives half the amount, or $63.50. The catch…

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Vieauqc TeamJuly 17, 2026

Cost of Living

No more QST on toilet paper, muffins and salted nuts

Since July 15, Quebec has dropped its 9.975% tax on a specific list of grocery and hygiene products. Here's which ones — and the catches.

Since July 15, 2026, a specific list of grocery and hygiene products is zero-rated under the QST system: Quebec's 9.975% sales tax no longer applies to them. The measure, announced in May, is permanent and targets everyday items, according to Revenu Québec. What loses the QST. The list is more precise than it looks, because it runs on thresholds: - Frozen desserts in individual portions under 500 g or 500 ml: ice cream, frozen milk, sorbet, frozen yogurt. - Sweetened baked goods in individual portions under 230 g, or sold in packages of fewer than 6 units: donuts, cookies, muffins, cakes, tarts. - Desserts: dessert cream (pudding), flavoured gelatin, mousse. - Prepared fruits and vegetables: fruit salads and platters, trays of cut and washed vegetables, including any dip that comes with them. - Snacks: mixes of oat flakes or other cereals, seeds, nuts and dried fruit (trail-mix style), plus salted or seasoned nuts and seeds — provided sugar isn't a main ingredient of the…

Read the full story →Go deeper: Understanding GST and QST in Quebec

Vieauqc TeamAugust 15, 2026

Cost of Living

TFSA and RRSP: the 2026 limits for saving tax-free

Two accounts every newcomer should know, and how much you can put in this year.

Canada offers two tax-advantaged savings accounts worth understanding early: the TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) and the RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan). These aren't investments themselves, but "wrappers" inside which your money grows without being taxed the way an ordinary account would be. The TFSA in brief. For 2026, the annual TFSA contribution limit is $7,000, unchanged from 2025. Money grows tax-free inside it, and your withdrawals are not taxed. Unused room carries forward year to year. Careful: contributing more than your limit triggers a penalty of 1% per month on the excess. The RRSP in brief. The RRSP limit is 18% of your earned income from the previous year, up to a maximum of $33,810 for 2026. Unlike the TFSA, your contributions lower your taxable income — but your withdrawals are taxed (the idea being to withdraw in retirement, when your tax rate is lower). TFSA or RRSP? In short: the TFSA is flexible (tax-free withdrawals, ideal for a medium-term goal or…

Read the full story →Go deeper: RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, HBP & RESP Explained Simply

Vieauqc TeamJuly 16, 2026

Cost of Living

Quebec's minimum wage in 2026: $16.60 an hour

The general rate went up on May 1, 2026: what it means for your paycheque.

Since May 1, 2026, Quebec's general minimum wage has been $16.60 an hour. That's the legal floor below which an employer cannot pay you for most jobs in the province. A different rate for tipped employees. If you work as a server, or in a role where you regularly receive tips, the minimum rate is lower, at $13.30 an hour. The idea is that tips top up the wage — but your employer must still respect that floor. Who sets the rate? The amount is set by the Quebec government and generally reviewed once a year, on May 1. The CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) enforces it. If you're paid less than the minimum, you can file a complaint with them. What it looks like on a paycheque. At $16.60 an hour and 35 hours a week, that's roughly $581 gross per week, before deductions (income tax, QPP, QPIP, employment insurance). The net amount that lands in your account is lower — you can estimate it with our net salary calculator. Good to know for…

Read the full story →Go deeper: Quebec Labour Standards: Your Basic Rights as an Employee

Vieauqc TeamJuly 16, 2026

Cost of Living

2026 electricity hike: +3% on your Hydro-Québec bill

A 3% increase took effect April 1, 2026; here's what to expect on your bill.

In Quebec, nearly every household is supplied by Hydro-Québec, the provincial Crown corporation. Most homes are billed at Rate D, the standard residential rate. Since April 1, 2026, domestic rates have gone up by 3%. How rates are set. Increases aren't decided by Hydro-Québec alone: they're overseen by the Régie de l'énergie, the regulator. Hydro-Québec files a rate application, public hearings are held, and new rates generally take effect on April 1. The adjustment mainly reflects inflation and operating costs. What makes up your bill. A residential bill rests on two main parts: a system access charge (a fixed amount per day) and your energy consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours. The more you heat and light, the higher the consumption portion climbs — which is why winter bills are far higher than summer ones. Heating is the real expense. Electricity in Quebec remains among the cheapest in North America, but winter changes the math: many homes are heated electrically, and a…

Read the full story →Go deeper: Hydro-Québec: Open Your Electricity Account

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