Rate for residential and farm customers with a power demand of at least 50 kW
Rate DP generally applies to domestic use, that is, use in a home, when the maximum power demand has reached 50 kW or more at least once during the last 12 monthly periods. The electricity is metered separately in most cases. Bulk metering applies in the case of apartment buildings built after April 1, 2008. This rate also applies to farms.
See our eligibility criteria regarding domestic rates for farms [PDF 693 kB]
Other cases in which Rate DP applies
Provided the maximum power demand reached 50 kilowatts (kW) or more at least once over the past 12 monthly periods, Rate DP also applies in the following cases:
- Farms: Land, buildings and equipment used to raise crops or livestock, excluding any dwelling or any facility used for commercial activity or industrial activity
See our eligibility criteria regarding domestic rates for farms [PDF 693 kB] - Apartment buildings (separate metering)
- Community residences consisting of individual units (separate metering)
- Community residences (9 rooms or less)
- Rooming houses (9 rooms or less)
- Bed and breakfasts (9 rooms or less)
- Tourist homes (separate metering)
- Foster families or foster homes (9 people or less)
- Residential outbuildings, i.e., buildings or installations appurtenant to a residential building:
- used exclusively by the persons occupying the dwelling or apartment building
- used exclusively for purposes related to those of the dwelling or apartment building
- Portion of electricity used for purposes other than habitation (installed capacity 10 kW or less)
Why Rate DP?
Up to April 1, 2017, Rate D applied to the vast majority of residential and farm customers, regardless of their electricity use.
April 1, 2017, saw the introduction of a new rate—Rate DP—for residential and farm customers with larger loads. Rate DP is similar to Rate D, which, before April 1, 2017, provided for billing of power demand in excess of 50 kW. The structure of Rate DP will continue to evolve in coming years to better reflect the needs of these customers.
Eligibility for Rate DP
Your service contract is eligible for Rate DP if your maximum power demand reached 50 kilowatts (kW) or more at least once over the past 12 monthly periods.
If your maximum power demand was 65 kW or more, your contract will automatically be switched to Rate DP, since Rate D is now solely for customers with a maximum power demand of less than 65 kW.
If over the past 12 months your maximum power demand was 50 kW or more, but less than 65 kW, your contract is eligible for either Rate D or Rate DP.
- Hydro‑Québec will switch your contract to Rate DP if it determines that this yields potential savings for you.
- Hydro‑Québec will notify you by mail if switching from Rate D to Rate DP becomes more advantageous for you later on.
| Maximum power demand | Domestic rate your contract is eligible for |
|---|---|
| Less than 50 kW | Rate D only |
| At least 50 kW but less than 65 kW | Rate D or DP |
| 65 kW or more | Rate DP only |
- Go to the Understanding power and power demand Web page
- What’s a kilowatthour (kWh)?
- Watch a video explaining power
Structure of Rate DP
- Price of energy for the first 1,200 kWh per month (1st tier): 5.88¢/kWh
- Price of energy for the remaining consumption (2nd tier): 8.94¢/kWh
- Charge for power demand in excess of 50 kW, in the winter period: $6.21/kW
- Charge for power demand in excess of 50 kW, in the summer period: $4.59/kW
If little or no electricity is used, a minimum charge is billed. It is $12.18 per month (30 days) when single-phase electricity is delivered or $18.27 per month when three-phase electricity is delivered.
Rates in effect April 1, 2019. Under no circumstances shall this table replace the Electricity Rates.
Understanding rates
Rates have three main components that reflect the actual costs incurred by Hydro‑Québec to provide electrical service.
System access charge
Rate DP does not have a system access charge, but the bill is never lower than the applicable minimum charge.
Energy
As the amount of energy consumed varies, the amount billed varies as well.
Power demand
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.
If you are a Rate DP customer and your maximum power demand was below 65 kW during the last 12 monthly periods, it might be advantageous for you to switch to Rate D.
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 DP, 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.
Minimum charge
Rate DP contracts also include a minimum charge. Customers pay the minimum charge when they consume little or no electricity during a billing period. This charge is set so that you pay your share of the costs Hydro‑Québec incurs to meet your power needs.
For Rate DP, the minimum charge (for 30 days) is $12.18 when single-phase electricity is delivered or $18.27 when three-phase electricity is delivered.
When does the minimum charge apply?
For Rate DP contracts, the minimum charge applies only when it is greater than the cost of electricity used during a given consumption period.
Example of a Rate DP bill with minimum charge
Electricity rates also include other components
Credit for supply at medium or high voltage
Hydro‑Québec’s rates assume that electricity will be supplied at low voltage. If you have equipment to step down the voltage of the electricity delivered to you or if you use electricity at medium or high voltage, Hydro‑Québec’s costs are reduced. In return, you receive a monthly credit on your demand charge. The credit is determined according to the supply voltage.
- Credit for supply at medium or high voltage
- Voltage of 5 kV, but less than 15 kV $0.612/kW
- Voltage of 15 kV, but less than 50 kV $0.981/kW
- Voltage of 50 kV, but less than 80 kV $2.190/kW
- Voltage of 80 kV, but less than 170 kV $2.679/kW
- Voltage of 170 kV or more $3.540/kW
Rates in effect April 1, 2019. Under no circumstances shall this table replace the Electricity Rates.
Adjustment for transformation losses
Hydro‑Québec bills you only for the electricity you use, regardless of where it is metered in relation to the transformer substation. If metering occurs before transformation, the electricity billed will include transformation losses. So that you do not pay for losses, Hydro‑Québec grants an adjustment of 17.76¢ per kilowatt (kW) on the billing demand. Conversely, if metering occurs after transformation, the company will absorb the losses.
More information
To find out more about Rate DP, consult Section 3 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 4.83 MB], approved by the Régie de l’énergie.
Other useful information
How to request electricity service
Separate metering
Method of measuring energy consumed with a separate meter for each residential or commercial unit in a building.
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.
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).
Winter period
Period from December 1 through March 31 of the next year, inclusive.
Summer period
Period from April 1 through November 30, inclusive.
Voltage
Difference in electrical level between two points, expressed in volts (V).
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).
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.
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.
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.
Rate
Electricity rate as at April 1, 2019.