Newfoundland and Labrador heats mostly with electricity, but oil has not disappeared. As of October 2026, Statistics Canada reports that in 2023 about 64% of households used electricity for primary heat and about 13% used oil. For a heating company, that combination produces two clear lines of work: electric systems and heat pumps, and conversions away from oil.
The Newfoundland and Labrador heating market
The St. John's area, including Conception Bay South, Paradise and Mount Pearl, is the largest market. Away from the capital region, the main hubs are Corner Brook in the west, Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor in central Newfoundland, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador. Distances between communities are large, so a company outside St. John's may cover a wide territory with a small team.
Because conversion incentives run through participating installers, the conversion line has its own sales cycle: enquiry, assessment, program paperwork, install. Each step is a place where a job can stall. A program tracks those steps separately in the day-1 baseline.
Season and climate
On the island, weather is cool, wet and windy for much of the year, so furnaces and heat pumps run for a long season. Labrador is colder again, with subarctic winters. That means the quiet season is short on the island and shorter still in Labrador.
For a 90-day heating program, a day 1 between February and May fits most island companies. Labrador companies should start earlier and keep the fix list tight, because the window before demand returns is narrow.
Regulators to know
The provincial government's inspection services, part of the Department of Government Services, handle permits and inspections for boilers, pressure vessels and compressed gas, along with propane systems and electrical permits and inspections. We link the department so marketing claims match what your licensed staff can do. Permit and compliance questions go to the department, not to us.
Programs that affect demand
As of October 2026, takeCHARGE, the energy-efficiency partnership of Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, runs the Oil to Electric Incentive Program, which offers qualified homeowners an incentive of up to $22,000 to move from oil to electricity-based heat. Customers must use a participating installer, and incentives are paid directly to that installer. Confirm current terms and eligibility with takeCHARGE before using them in marketing.
An incentive that large shapes the whole conversation. An office that can explain the process clearly and keep the paperwork moving gives a homeowner a reason to stay with the company. Stalled conversions, where a customer enquired, was assessed and then went quiet, are lost revenue a program can measure and often recover.
A worked conversion-pipeline example
Imagine a St. John's company that receives 60 oil-to-electric enquiries in a spring month. Its records show 42 assessments booked, 30 quotes issued and 14 installs completed within three months. The biggest drop is between quote and install: 16 households went quiet.
If half of those stalled jobs could be restarted with a scheduled follow-up call and a plain explanation of the next paperwork step, that is eight more installs from demand the company already has. On jobs of this size, recovering even a few stalled conversions usually outweighs any change in advertising. These figures are an illustration, not a forecast.
How a program runs for a Newfoundland and Labrador company
A typical program starts by mapping the conversion pipeline from enquiry to install and measuring where jobs stall. Booked-call recovery and conversion follow-up usually head the day-30 fix list, followed by service pages that explain conversions accurately with a link to the official program.
On the monthly retainer, owners here often track conversions in progress alongside maintenance renewals for the growing heat-pump base, and plan technician travel for rural work around the short summer.
We are not a contractor and never install, repair or service equipment. For the other Atlantic provinces, see Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Frequently asked questions
Is oil-to-electric conversion work worth building a program around?
For many companies here it is a central line, but the baseline decides. If conversion enquiries are arriving and not closing, the program focuses there; if they are not arriving, the question is demand.
Does Labrador need a different approach from the island?
Usually, yes. Labrador's colder, longer winters and smaller communities shift the timing earlier and put more weight on scheduling and travel than on search marketing.
When should a St. John's company start a program?
February to May works for most island companies. Labrador companies should aim for the earlier end of that range.
Sources
- Government of NL: Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Compressed Gas (2026-10-23)
- takeCHARGE: Oil to Electric Incentive Program (2026-10-23)
- Statistics Canada Table 38-10-0286-01 (2026-10-23)