Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that provinces will have until 2018 to adopt a carbon price scheme, whether they want to or not.

The announcement left many people worried about what that will mean for their wallets: Higher prices at the pump? An increase in home heating costs? A decline in exports?

Quebecers, though, won't be hit as hard as some other Canadians. Since 2007, the province has implemented a series of environmental initiatives that have put it ahead of the curve when it comes to lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

That means the federal carbon price scheme is unlikely to cause sudden price shocks in Quebec. Here's why:

Cap-and-trade foresight

Trudeau gave provinces the choice between directly pricing carbon pollution or implementing a cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions.

Quebec has had a cap-and-trade system for years.

When Ottawa backed out from The Kyoto Protocol in 2011, it left the provinces in charge of how they would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For Quebec, that meant introducing Canada's first cap-and-trade system to fight climate change. British Columbia and Ontario have since implemented their own systems.

Under the system, the Quebec government distributes pollution quotas. Those who exceed their quotas must buy offset credits, the price of which fluctuates on the market.

Money collected through the system goes towards Quebec's Green Fund, which is in place to fund green energy solutions in the province, as outlined in the province's 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan.

It is the presence of a cap-and-trade system in Quebec that will allow it to avoid sudden price increases from the federal plan to price carbon.

Quebec's cap-and-trade system was brought in under Premier Jean Charest in 2007. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Cost at the pump

Among the most common concerns about pricing carbon is the worry it will jack up gasoline prices.

But experts give different numbers when estimating how much the federal carbon pricing plan will cost consumers on each litre of gas.

Francois Delorme, a professor of environmental economics at the University of Sherbrooke, estimates gas will go up 11 cents per litre in Canada as provinces move to meet the national goal of cutting emissions by 30 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.

But with a cap-and-trade system already in place, Quebec may avoid such an increase.

Radio-Canada's economic specialist, Gérald Fillion, maintains that because of cap-and-trade, the price of gas will only go up between three and six cents per litre in the province.

Roger McKnight, senior petroleum analyst with En-Pro, a business consultancy, sided with the upper end of Fillion's estimate. He wrote in March that Quebecers can expect a price increase of six cents per litre.

Provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan have almost six times the greenhouse gas emissions per capita as Quebec. (David Suzuki Foundation/davidsuzuki.org)

Cost to heat your home

Gaz Métro estimates that the average consumer will only see their bill go up about five or six per cent over the coming years. For business clients, an eight-per cent increase is estimated.

The utility is required to buy offset credits on the cap-and-trade market for it smaller clients, that is, clients who are not already required by law to offset their emissions.

That cost is passed on, and currently represents about five per cent of an average-sized home's annual heating bill.

"Our clients already contribute to carbon market, so the federal impact wouldn't be significant," Gaz Métro's Catherine Houde told CBC News.

The company has about 200,000 customers in Quebec.

People who heat their homes with hydroelectricity will be spared altogether. That's because there are no greenhouse gas emissions in the production of hyrdo-power.

According to a 2011 report by Statistics Canada, 66 per cent of Quebec households heat with electricity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said all provinces must have a price on carbon by 2018. Quebec has had one in place since 2007. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Cost to businesses

Some critics argue this new environment plan by the federal government will hurt business by driving up production costs.

Delorme admits the tax could handicap Canada's export competitiveness with countries who don't price carbon. But he says business is not the point — the tax is being put in place to change our habits as consumers.

"The debate isn't on the tax. The premise is to lower emissions," Delorme told Radio-Canada. "Most economists say there has to be a price on this."

For now, Quebec is ahead of the federal targets.

Trudeau's proposed price on carbon dioxide pollution would start at a minimum of $10 a tonne in 2018, rising by $10 each year to $50 a tonne by 2022.

Currently, Quebecers are paying the equivalent of $16.40 a tonne.