Rate D
Rate for residential and farm customers
Rate D generally applies to domestic or household use. It is the basic rate charged to most residential customers. It also applies to farms.
Rate D generally applies to domestic or household use. It is the basic rate charged to most residential customers. It also applies to farms.
Rate D does indeed have two-tiered pricing:
We do not bill based on your daily consumption. We take into account your total consumption during the consumption period, which is more beneficial for you.
For example, if your consumption period covers 62 days, 2,480 kWh (40 kWh per day x 62 days = 2,480 kWh) will be billed at the first-tier price. Any remaining energy consumption will be billed using the second-tier price.
The heritage pool and the price of the first 40 kWh used per day at Rate D are two different things.
Hydro‑Québec's generation segment supplies the company's distribution segment with a block of energy of 165 TWh of electricity per year at a competitive price. This is commonly referred to as the heritage pool. It ensures a low rate for Quebecers.
This price, approved by the Régie de l’énergie, is determined based on the cost of several components such as electricity supply (including the heritage pool), power transmission, distribution system operation and maintenance, and customer service. The heritage pool is one of the factors used to set our rates.
Our residential rates are indeed the lowest in North America. For over 50 years, electricity prices in Québec have increased more or less at the same rate as inflation.
See our publication Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities.
To find out more about Rate D, consult Section 2 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 1.44 MB].
Method of measuring energy consumed with a separate meter for each residential or commercial unit in a building.
Method of measuring energy consumed with a single meter instead of separate meters for an entire multiunit commercial or residential building. The building owner is responsible for dividing the costs between the occupants.
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.