A customer-generator is a Hydro‑Québec customer who produces electricity using equipment they own and operate to meet part or all of their energy needs.
If you’re a customer-generator, if you generate electricity from a renewable energy source and if your installation is connected to one of Hydro-Québec’s off-grid systems, except the Schefferville and Lac-Robertson systems, Net Metering Option III may be of interest to you. It allows you to inject your surplus power into the Hydro‑Québec grid in exchange for credits applied to reduce your bill. Inversely, if the power you generate is not enough to meet your needs, you can draw power from the Hydro‑Québec grid and enjoy reliable, high-quality service.
Your electricity bill will periodically be accompanied by a report that shows your consumption in kilowatthours (kWh), how much electricity was supplied by Hydro‑Québec and how much you injected into the grid. If you generate more than you use, the surplus will earn banked credits that will be deducted from your future bills.
Under the Net Metering Option III for customer-generators connected to an off-grid system, if you feed in more electricity to the grid than you draw out, the surplus is put into a bank in the form of credits.
The value of the power injected into the system is equal to the number of kilowatthours (kWh) injected multiplied by a price that varies depending on the type of generating station that supplies electricity to the off-grid system to which your electrical installation is connected.
Prices for electricity injected based on the type of generating station that supplies the off-grid system:
A bill under a contract with Net Metering Option III for customer-generators cannot be below the applicable system access charge.
These credits cannot be exchanged for money or transferred to another electrical service contract. They will expire after a certain period of time.
Your surplus bank will be initially reset to zero at the start of the consumption period beginning on or after March 31 following your initial sign-up. After that, it will be reset to zero every 24 months. In other words, you have two years to use your credits, apart from those accumulated during the first months.
You may make arrangements with Hydro‑Québec for a later reset date, as long as it falls within the 24 months following your sign-up. Your bank will then be reset to zero at the start of the consumption period beginning after the selected date, and every 24 months thereafter. Since the first reset is scheduled for March 31 after you sign up for this option, be sure to contact us before then.
| Value of electricity injected (arctic diesel power plant) | 53.131¢/kWh x 300 kWh = $159.39 |
|---|---|
| Surplus bank | $0.00 + $159.39 = $159.39 |
| System access charge | 43.505¢ x 30 days = $13.05 |
| Energy supplied by Hydro‑Québec | 6.509¢/kWh x 500 kWh = $32.55 |
| Amount due for electrical service | $13.05 + $32.55 = $45.60 |
| Maximum amount to be withdrawn from surplus bank | $45.60 – $13.05 = $32.55 |
| Amount due after withdraw from surplus bank | = $13.05 |
| Surplus bank balance | $159.39 – $32.55 = $126.84 |
| Value of electricity injected (arctic diesel power plant) | 53.131¢/kWh x 250 kWh = $132.83 |
|---|---|
| Surplus bank | $126.84 + $132.83 = $259.67 |
| System access charge | 43.505¢ x 30 days = $13.05 |
| Energy supplied by Hydro‑Québec | 6.509¢/kWh x 800 kWh = $52.07 |
| Amount due for electrical service | $13.05 + $52.07 = $65.12 |
| Maximum amount to be withdrawn from surplus bank | $65.12 – $13.05 = $52.07 |
| Amount due after withdraw from surplus bank | = $13.05 |
| Surplus bank balance | $259.67 – $52.07 = $207.60 |
Residential and farm customers billed at Rate D, DM or DN and small-power business customers billed at Rate G whose maximum power demand never exceeded 50 kilowatts (kW) at least once during the last 12 monthly periods, who are supplied by one of Hydro‑Québec’s off-grid systems, except the Schefferville and Lac-Robertson systems, and who are able to generate electricity from a renewable energy source. The eligible renewable energy sources are:
The electricity must be generated at a facility that is located at the same delivery point as the electricity service contract.
Customers are responsible for the costs of purchasing, installing, maintaining and inspecting the equipment.
Your generating equipment must be compliant with current regulations in Québec and with all conditions stipulated by Hydro‑Québec, in particular Hydro‑Québec standards E.12‑05 and E.12‑07.
The maximum generating capacity of the equipment must not exceed the lesser of the following:
A set amount, expressed in dollars per month or cents per day depending on the applicable rate, that the customer must pay for the electricity service.
Beginning April 1, 2019, the term fixed charge was replaced with system access charge.
Power used by electrical equipment over a given period of time. Expressed in kilowatthours (kWh), energy is calculated as power, expressed in kilowatts (kW), multiplied by the time during which the power is used, expressed in hours (h).
The formula for energy is as follows: energy (in kilowatthours) is equal to power (in kilowatts) multiplied by duration of use (in hours).
Energy (kWh) = power (kW) x time used (h).
Period during which electricity is delivered to the customer and which extends between the two dates used by Hydro-Québec for calculation of the bill.
A customer-generator is a Hydro-Québec customer who produces electricity using equipment they own and operate to meet part or all of their energy needs.
An “off-grid system” is a power system not connected to Hydro-Québec’s main grid.
Maximum power measured during a consumption period. It is the higher of the following two values: real power in kilowatts (kW), or a percentage (90% for domestic rates and small- and medium-power rates, or 95% for large-power rates) of the apparent power in kilovoltamperes (kVA).
Period of 30 days, which may begin on any day of the month, established by Hydro‑Québec for billing purposes.