Running-in of new equipment
by medium‑power customers

Back to rate options and conditions

Reliable energy at stable prices

The running-in option, which applies for a limited time, is offered to medium-power customers that have a service contract at Rate M.

Helping you carry out your projects

Planning to enlarge your facilities, upgrade your equipment or launch an innovative project? Chances are the running-in option is just what you need.

If you have to run short tests before putting new equipment or a new facility into service, your power demand may rise for a few months while you optimize operation. As a result, your load factor will fall, pushing up the cost of the kilowatthours you consume.

Potential savings

With the running-in option, you can get around this problem, and you won’t have to pay for a momentary but significant increase in your power demand.

The specific provisions of this option allow us to calculate your bill differently by temporarily exempting you from certain conditions that apply to power billing. This lets you test new equipment without having to pay for the resulting increase in your power demand during the running-in period.

Modified calculation of billing amount at Rate M

Calculating a bill under the running-in option involves three steps:

1. An average price (¢/kWh) is determined based on the last 12 consumption periods or, if there is insufficient data, on an estimate of consumption.
2. The average price is increased by .
3. The average price, plus , is applied to the energy consumed during the running-in period.

The power demand recorded during running in is therefore not used in the calculation, even if it’s above the limit used in determining the average reference price (Step 1). Calculation of the bill will vary slightly if your last contract did not cover 12 consumption periods without the running-in option.

These conditions apply for a period of one to twelve months, depending on the situation.

Flexible conditions of application

To take advantage of the Running-In Option, you must meet the following conditions:

• The power rating of the equipment being run in must equal at least 10% of the minimum billing demand in effect at the time you make your written request, but no less than 100 kilowatts (kW).
• You must advise Hydro‑Québec in writing at least 30‑days before the start of the running-in period, specifying the consumption periods to which you want the running-in period to apply.
• You must send Hydro‑Québec a description of the type and power rating of your equipment for approval.

You can also consult the Electricity Rates to find out more about Hydro‑Québec’s rates and rate options.