Montreal considering ban on oil furnaces

After banning wood-burning stoves, Montreal is now considering prohibiting oil-burning furnaces.

Last September, Coun. Dominic Perri brought the motion forward to Montreal City Hall.

“I proposed a very reasonable approach,” Perri told Global News.

“Number 1: ban immediately heating oil for new constructions. For existing constructions, for existing houses, give them a reasonable amount of time for them to switch,” he explained.

The city told Global News it is looking into Perri’s proposal but wouldn’t say if it was going ahead with a ban.

WATCH: Open house — heating your home

4:49 Open House: Heating your home

Meanwhile, the city says it wants to lead by example and is converting its municipal buildings from oil to natural gas.

Of the 542 buildings owned by the city, there are 13 left to convert. The process should be completed by 2021.

“There is no choice. The time to act is now,” Perri said of the proposed ban.

Perri also brought forward to the idea of banning wood-burning stoves back in 2009. The ban on most wood-burning stoves kicked in last October.

Now, the councillor says oil furnaces are even more harmful.

“I will fight as long as it takes to reduce this important source of pollution, which is three times as polluting as wood-burning stoves,” Perri told Global News.

According to Statistics Canada, eight per cent of Quebecers have oil heating, representing 28 per cent of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions.

This makes oil the most polluting of all sources of heat used in Quebec.

The province is giving a hand to those who want to convert to electric heat.

Its Chauffez Vert program offers a subsidy of up to $1,245. The deadline to apply is March 2021.

There is no set date for when the committee studying the proposal will deliver an answer.

WATCH: Ultramar has responded to some West Island residents who told Global News they were left without heating over the weekend

2:12 Ultramar responds after Montreal homes left without heating