Rate for multiunit residential buildings
Rate DM applies to apartment buildings or community residences having multiple dwellings and bulk metering of electricity.
This rate has not been offered since April 1, 2008. However, customers who were eligible for it on May 31, 2009, continue to be entitled to it.
Frequently asked questions
1. Amendment to Rate DM
Rate DM has not been offered since April 1, 2008. However, customers who were eligible for it on May 31, 2009, continue to be entitled to it.
2. What type of residences does Rate DM apply to?
This rate applies to apartment buildings and community residences having multiple dwellings and bulk metering. In the case of apartment buildings and community residences where each unit has its own electricity meter, Rate D applies.
3. What exactly is the 2008 amendment to Rate DM?
Since April 1, 2008, Rate DM has no longer been offered to new customers. In other words, it no longer applies to apartment buildings or community residences built after April 1, 2008, that have bulk metering. In these cases, Rate D applies.
4. What about customers already paying Rate DM?
Customers who were eligible for Rate DM on May 31, 2009, continue to pay the same rate. A customer who buys a building that has a service contract at Rate DM or was eligible for it on May 31, 2009, also keeps that rate. But customers who want a service contract for a new building can no longer sign up for Rate DM. In such cases, Rate D will apply.
5. Why has Hydro‑Québec stopped offering Rate DM?
Unlike customers who have opted for separate metering and who change their energy-use habits when their bill goes up, residents of multiunit residential buildings with bulk metering have no direct financial incentive to use less electricity. To encourage people to use electricity wisely, we want owners of new residential buildings to choose separate metering. If a customer opts for bulk metering for an apartment building or community residence construction project, Rate D applies, and so more electricity will be billed at the second tier (9.38¢ per kilowatthour).
6. What rate will my service contract be at if Rate DM is no longer available?
Customers involved in apartment building or community residence construction projects will henceforth be eligible for Rate D (or another applicable general rate, depending on their consumption profiles).
New in 2019
As shown in the table in the Structure of Rate DM section, Rate DM is made up of a system access charge and a variable amount reflecting your energy consumption, divided into two tiers. The first tier (1st tier) is billed at a lower price than the second tier (2nd tier).
More kilowatthours at the lowest price
From 1978 to March 31, 2017, the 1st tier was set at 30 kWh a day, or 900 kWh a month. On April 1, 2017, it was increased from 30 to 33 kWh a day; on April 1, 2018, from 33 to 36 kWh a day; and on April 1, 2019, from 36 to 40 kWh a day. This is advantageous for small consumers, especially low-income households that use electricity for heating.
The 10 kWh a day that have been added to the 1st tier since April 1, 2017, translate into:
- Up to 300 kWh a month billed at a more advantageous rate
- Up to 35% in savings
Structure of Rate DM
- System access charge per day in the consumption period, times the multiplier: 41.168¢
- Price of energy for energy consumption up to the product of 40 kilowatthours (kWh), the number of days in the consumption period and the multiplier (1st tier): 6.159¢/kWh
- Price of energy for the remaining energy consumption (2nd tier): 9.502¢/kWh
- Charge for power demand exceeding the greater of 50 kilowatts (kW) or 4 kW times multiplier: $6.291/kW
Rates in effect April 1, 2021. Under no circumstances shall this table replace the Electricity Rates.
Understanding rates
Rates generally have three main components that reflect the actual costs incurred by Hydro‑Québec to provide electrical service.
System access charge
The system access charge, expressed in cents per day for this rate, is a set amount you pay for the electricity service itself.
Energy
As the amount of energy consumed varies, the amount billed varies as well.
Power
Hydro‑Québec must be able to meet its customers’ maximum power demand at all times. Even if power demand is variable and consumption is sometimes minimal, Hydro‑Québec’s rates still have to cover the cost of operating and maintaining the power system. For this reason, it’s important that rates for large electricity consumers include billing for maximum power demand. This reflects the costs associated with meeting power demands of varying size and duration.
Calculating billing demand
The demand charge is applied to the greater of these two billing demand values.
- The maximum power demand corresponding to the greater of the two following values:
- Real power
- 90% of apparent power
or
For Rate DM, the minimum billing demand is set at 65% of the maximum power demand during a consumption period that falls wholly within the winter period included in the 12 consecutive monthly periods ending with the consumption period in question.
Electricity rates also include other components
Credit for supply at medium or high voltage
Hydro‑Québec grants a supply credit of 0.2441¢ per kilowatthour to Rate DM customers to whom it supplies electricity at 5 kilovolts or higher.
The domestic rates, like the other rates, assume that electricity will be supplied at low voltage. Customers who have equipment to step down the voltage of the electricity they are supplied or who use electricity at medium or high voltage represent reduced costs for Hydro‑Québec. In return, they are granted a monthly credit.
What is the multiplier?
Unlike Rate D, Rate DM has a multiplier that applies to the system access charge, to the consumption at the various energy price tiers and to the base billing demand.
The multiplier depends on the type of dwelling and is established as follows:
- For apartment buildings or community residences consisting of units, the multiplier corresponds to the number of units (e.g., the multiplier for a community residence consisting of 25 units is 25).
- For a community residence with both dwellings and rooms, the multiplier corresponds to the number of dwellings, plus 1 for the first 9 rooms and 1 for each additional room (e.g., the multiplier for a community residence with 5 dwellings and 5 rooms is 6).
- For a rooming house or community residence with 10 rooms or more, the multiplier is 1 for the first 9 rooms, plus 1 for each additional room (e.g., the multiplier for a community residence with 15 rooms is 7).
More information
To find out more about Rate DM, consult Section 4 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 4.83 MB].
Other useful information
How to request electricity service
Bulk metering
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.
Separate metering
Method of measuring energy consumed with a separate meter for each residential or commercial unit in a building.
System access charge
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.
Energy
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).
Power
Total amount of electricity supplied at a given time. Expressed in kilowatts (kW), power is the combined effect of voltage, expressed in kilovolts (kV), and current, expressed in amperes (A).
Winter period
Period from December 1 through March 31 of the next year, inclusive.
Summer period
Period from April 1 through November 30, inclusive.
Real power
Amount of electricity consumed in a useful manner to operate equipment, such as a motor or a heating or lighting system. Real power is expressed in kilowatts (kW).
Apparent power
Amount of electricity that Hydro-Québec supplies to a customer, expressed in kilovoltamperes (kVA). When it is used, apparent power breaks down into real power (kW), which runs devices, and reactive power (kVAR), which produces magnetic fields and which is not useful power for the customer.
Minimum billing demand (minimum demand)
The minimum amount of power that the customer must pay for each consumption period, regardless of electricity use. The threshold is set so that you pay your share of the costs Hydro-Québec incurs to meet your power needs at all times. The minimum billing demand is determined by the conditions of each rate, as indicated in the Electricity Rates.
- For all rates except Rate L, the minimum billing demand is automatically determined based on the previous winter’s maximum power demand.
- Rate L customers must set their own minimum billing demand, called “contract power,” based on the amount of electricity they expect to use.
Maximum power demand
Maximum power measured during a given period. It is the higher of the following two values:
- the highest real power demand, expressed in in kilowatts (kW)
- 90% or 95% (depending on the rate applicable) of the highest apparent power demand in kilovoltamperes (kVA)
These power demands are determined for integration periods of 15 minutes.
Rate
Electricity rate as at April 1, 2021.
Voltage
Difference in electrical level between two points, expressed in volts (V).
Low voltage: Voltage of 750 V or less.
Medium voltage: Voltage of more than 750 V, but less than 44 kV.
High voltage: Voltage of 44 kV or more.