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 having multiple dwellings 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. Therefore, 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 higher second-tier price ( 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).
More information
To find out more about Rate DM, consult Section 4 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 2.31 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 customers must pay for each consumption period, regardless of their electricity use. The threshold is set so that customers pay their share of the costs Hydro‑Québec incurs to meet their 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 their projected electricity use.
Maximum power demand
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).
Rate
Electricity rate effective April 1, .
Voltage
Difference in electrical level between two points, expressed in volts (V).
Low voltage: Voltage of 750 volts (V) or less.
Medium voltage: Voltage of more than 750 V, but less than 44 kilovolts (kV).
High voltage: Voltage of 44 kV or more.