Over the past few years, Hydro-Québec has installed thousands of Hilo smart thermostats in homes across the province, many of them handed out for free as part of its push to help Quebecers cut back on their power use.
Now, some of those thermostats are being swapped out.
On November 9, Hydro-Québec announced that it will replace certain first-generation Hilo thermostats used with baseboard heaters and fan convectors. About 21,000 customers are affected.
According to Hydro-Québec, a technical assessment found that these older models present a “very low risk of failure” in certain exceptional circumstances, like during an overvoltage. On its website, Hilo says that in those rare cases, the thermostat could overheat.
The utility stresses that the thermostats meet all applicable standards, are CSA-certified and were installed by qualified electricians. Still, it's opted to replace them as a preventive measure, at no cost to customers.
Which thermostats qualify?
According to Hilo, the replacement covers:
- Hilo thermostats installed before December 1, 2022
- Hilo thermostats for fan convector units installed between December 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024
Hilo's second-generation thermostats aren't affected.
How to know if yours needs to be replaced
You don't have to figure it out yourself. Hydro-Québec already has the information it needs about the thermostats linked to your account, and it will contact affected customers directly.
If your thermostats need to be replaced, you should receive an email with "Preventive measure" in the subject line, or a letter if Hydro-Québec doesn't have your email address. It's a good idea to check your spam folder too.
If you haven't received an email or letter, your thermostats don't need to be replaced, and you don't need to do anything.
What happens next
Affected customers will get a second email, or a letter, with available appointment times in their area. A qualified electrician hired by Hydro-Québec will then replace the old thermostats with second-generation Hilo models.
The replacements are free, and Hydro-Québec says they'll roll out gradually over the next few weeks.
If you have questions or want to change your appointment, you can reach Hilo's customer service at 438-289-4456 or toll-free at 1-844-500-4456. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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