Guide
Renting vs buying a hot water tank in Quebec
The short answer
Over 10 years, buying a hot water tank usually costs less. Renting costs more in total, but it includes maintenance, repairs and replacement at the end of the tank's life, according to CAA-Québec. To decide, multiply your monthly payment by 120 and compare it with the price of an installed purchase, counting taxes the same way on both sides.
The monthly cost of a rental
We couldn't find a neutral, recent source that publishes an average monthly rate for Quebec. The rates you see advertised come from the rental companies themselves, which set them and change them. So we won't throw a number at you. The right one is yours.
The Office de la protection du consommateur, Quebec's consumer protection office, gives the same advice before you rent something long term: work out what it will cost you in the end. That's exactly the math below.
Your monthly payment is on your rental bill or your bank statement. Write down:
- the monthly payment, before taxes;
- the minimum length of the contract, if there is one;
- what the contract says about rate increases;
- the fees if you end it early.
The cost of an installed purchase
Same caution on this side: we have no neutral, recent price range for Quebec, so there's no made-up number here either. The price of an installed hot water tank depends on the size, how easy the tank is to reach, and what your home needs added.
To compare apples with apples, ask for a written price that includes:
- the hot water tank, 40 or 60 gallon;
- the installation labour;
- removal of the old tank;
- any parts to add, such as a drain pan or an expansion tank;
- taxes.
What's an expansion tank?
Water expands as it heats, which raises the pressure in the pipes. Giant requires an expansion tank when the home's plumbing has a check valve, a water meter or a pressure-reducing valve. If your home needs one, it belongs in the price you compare.
And ours?
M. Chauffe-Eau GL doesn't publish its prices. Send a photo of the rating plate and the tank, and we'll get back to you with a price in under an hour, day or night.
The 10-year math
Why 10 years? CAA-Québec puts the lifespan of a hot water tank at 10 to 15 years depending on the manufacturer, and notes that most insurers ask for replacement after 10 years. So a rental works out like this: monthly payment × 120 months. A purchase is paid once.
| If you pay per month | After 120 months, you'll have paid |
|---|---|
| $10 | $1,200 |
| $15 | $1,800 |
| $20 | $2,400 |
| $25 | $3,000 |
| Your monthly payment | Your monthly payment × 120 |
These monthly amounts are examples for the math, not rates we surveyed. Put in yours, then compare it with the installed price you were quoted. Two adjustments keep it fair: add any buyout or cancellation fees to the rental if you plan to leave the contract early, and remember that a rental includes repairs, while after a purchase they're yours.
What a rental includes
According to CAA-Québec, a rental gives you a monthly payment, maintenance and repairs included, and replacement of the tank at the end of its life. The trade-off is a higher total cost over the long run. CAA-Québec adds that renting can make sense if you plan to move or want to avoid surprises.
The tank stays the property of the rental company. According to Protégez-Vous (2024), the company carries the risk of loss and deterioration, and a rented appliance is covered by Quebec's legal warranties, just like a purchased one.
In a case of superior force, such as a flood or a fire, a spokesperson for the Office de la protection du consommateur says in the same article that the lessor is responsible for the loss of the appliance. The lessor can also require you to have insurance, but it can't make you use a particular insurer.
If your current tank is rented
It belongs to the rental company, so you can't just put it out at the curb like an old tank you own. M. Chauffe-Eau GL doesn't handle the return to the rental company: you call them to arrange the pickup.
Before you replace it, pull out the contract and look for:
- the minimum term and the end date;
- the fees if you end it early;
- the purchase option, if there is one: the buyout amount or how it's calculated;
- who picks up the tank, and when.
Ending the contract
According to Protégez-Vous (2024), you can always end the contract and return the appliance, and the merchant has to accept it. The merchant can claim certain fees, such as late payments or a repair caused by excessive wear, but not costs it would have had anyway at the end of the contract.
Buying out the tank
If the contract or the merchant allows it, the Office de la protection du consommateur explains that you can buy the rented item for the balance of the contract. The Office notes this pays off when the loss is smaller than with the cancellation fees. Run both numbers before you choose.
Transferring the contract
You can also assign the contract to someone else, with the merchant's consent. According to Protégez-Vous, the merchant has 15 days to answer your notice. If it doesn't answer, it is deemed to have accepted.
Buying or selling a house
The Competition Bureau warns that a hot water tank rental contract can come with the house, and that cancellation fees can reach $1,000 or more. Read the deed of sale before you sign.
What changed recently
Since October 2023, the law bars a long-term rental contract from charging fees at the end because a part isn't original or the servicing was done elsewhere, and the Office says this applies to hot water tanks. Since November 2024, it also bars a door-to-door merchant, with some exceptions, from signing you up for a long-term rental. If it happened anyway, you have one year to cancel the contract.
When to call a professional
When the tank is getting close to 10 years old, when your insurer writes to you about it, or when you see water or rust at the base of the tank. In that last case, shut off the power at the panel, close the cold water valve and call right away.
We'll say it plainly: M. Chauffe-Eau GL sells and installs 40 and 60 gallon Giant electric hot water tanks, and doesn't rent them. If buying suits you, send a photo of the rating plate and the tank through the quote page. You'll have a price in under an hour, 24/7.
Sources
- Chauffe-eau : quelle capacité choisir pour votre maison? (in French, updated June 29, 2026), CAA-Québec, consulted September 27, 2026
- Conseils de consommation : avant de louer à long terme (in French, last modified March 5, 2025), Office de la protection du consommateur, consulted September 27, 2026
- Location à long terme avec option d'achat : annulation d'un contrat (in French, last modified October 23, 2020), Office de la protection du consommateur, consulted September 27, 2026
- Nouvelles protections pour les consommateurs (in French, last modified August 10, 2026), Office de la protection du consommateur, consulted September 27, 2026
- Nouvelles obligations pour les commerçants : effective dates (in French, last modified August 3, 2026), Office de la protection du consommateur, consulted September 27, 2026
- Location d'appareils ménagers à long terme : quels sont vos droits? (in French, October 22, 2024), Protégez-Vous, consulted September 27, 2026
- Acheteurs de résidence surpris par les frais élevés liés à l'annulation du contrat de location d'un chauffe-eau (in French, April 18, 2016), Bureau de la concurrence Canada, consulted September 27, 2026
- Chauffe-eau résidentiels électriques : manuel du propriétaire, guide d'installation et d'utilisation (GI-IM017Fr, in French, 2023), Usines Giant, consulted September 27, 2026
No hot water? Call M. Chauffe-Eau GL
Open 24/7, in Montreal, in Laval, on the North Shore and on the South Shore.