Rates for business customers
The rates and options outlined below apply to business customers, based on their consumption profile.
Rate adjustment effective April 1, 2022
- Based on inflation, in accordance with An Act to simplify the process for establishing electricity distribution rates*
- Among the lowest electricity rates in North America (business customers included)
* Excluding Rate L, for which the increase is lower than inflation.
Base rates
Rate G
Most common business rate; applies to customers who are not billed for power demand or whose minimum billing demand is under 65 kilowatts (kW).
Rate M
Rate that applies to a contract whose maximum power demand has been at least 50 kilowatts (kW) during a consumption period included in the last 12 monthly periods.
Rate L
Rate that applies to an annual contract whose contract power is 5,000 kilowatts (kW) or more and which is principally related to an industrial activity.
Rate LG
Rate that applies to an annual contract whose minimum billing demand is 5,000 kilowatts (kW) or more and which is not principally related to an industrial activity.
Other rates
Rate Flex G
Rate Flex G is a dynamic rate that enables customers to save money in winter by shifting, at Hydro-Québec’s request, their nonessential electricity consumption to outside peak demand events or by using less electricity during those events. It applies to Rate G contracts that are not billed for power demand, that is, those with a power demand below 50 kW.
Rate G9
Rate that applies to large- or medium‑power customers whose power demand is limited. This rate can be advantageous for companies with equipment that uses a significant amount of power over short periods — for example, golf course irrigation pumps or ski hill snow cannons.
Rate GD
Optional medium‑power rate offered on backup power Hydro‑Québec sells to independent producers whose main generating source is temporarily unavailable or under maintenance. The electricity purchased is used to power essential loads and auxiliary services.
Rate CB
Rate CB applies to a medium- or large-power contract under which electricity is delivered, in whole or in part, for cryptographic use applied to blockchains and where the installed capacity dedicated to this use is at least 50 kilowatts. More specifically, it applies to service contracts for cryptographic use for mining or to maintain a cryptocurrency system in return for compensation.
Experimental Rate BR
Rate that applies to contracts for electricity supplied to one or more electric vehicle charging stations rated 400 volts DC or more. It can also apply to a contract for electricity supplied to one or more 240-V charging stations.
Details on Experimental Rate BR
Business rates north of the 53rd parallel
Rates that apply to the use of electricity by business customers when the electricity is supplied by an off-grid system located north of the 53rd parallel, except for the Schefferville system.
Details on rates for business customers served by off-grid systems north of the 53rd parallel
Public lighting rates
General electricity rates that apply to the public lighting service offered to federal, provincial and municipal authorities or to any person duly authorized by them.
Details on public lighting rates (in French only)
Sentinel lighting rates
Lighting rates for the supply, operation and powering of Sentinel photoelectric‑cell luminaires. These luminaires are the property of Hydro‑Québec and are used for outdoor lighting, but not for public lighting. Hydro‑Québec has been gradually phasing out these rates since April 1, 2013.
Rate options and conditions
Winter Credit Option for Rate G customers
The Winter Credit Option allows you to save during winter when you use less electricity than usual during peak periods, at Hydro-Québec’s request. This option is risk-free, because your electricity bill can only go down.
Additional Electricity Option
Option that allows large- or medium‑power customers (Rate M, G9, L or LG) to use electricity beyond their normal consumption during Hydro‑Québec’s off-peak hours to fill a short-term order or meet an exceptional need.
- Additional electricity option – medium‑power customers
- Additional electricity option – large‑power customers
Interruptible Electricity Options
Rate options under which Hydro‑Québec offers credits to large- or medium‑power customers (Rate M, G9, L or LG) in exchange for curtailing their electricity consumption at its request.
- Interruptible Electricity Options – medium‑power or Rate LG customers
- Interruptible Electricity Options – Rate L customers
Running-in of new equipment
Conditions available to large- or medium‑power customers (Rate M, L or LG) wishing to put new equipment into service, which can result in a higher power demand for a few months until their operations have been optimized. Under these conditions, such customers can be temporarily exempt from certain rate provisions applicable to power demand billing.
- Running-in of new equipment – medium‑power customers
- Running-in of new equipment – large‑power customers
Equipment testing
Conditions available to large- and medium‑power customers (Rate M, G9, L or LG) who need to run short tests after adding new equipment or modifying or optimizing existing equipment, a situation that risks temporarily increasing their power demand. These conditions allow the equipment to be tested without the customer being billed for the excess power used during the test period(s).
Additional Electricity Option for photosynthetic lighting or for space heating to raise crops
This option targets greenhouse growers who use all or part of the electricity supplied by Hydro Québec for photosynthetic lighting or space heating to raise crops. More specifically, it applies to Rate D, DP, DM, G, M, G9 and LG contracts where the electricity is used for the purposes stated above and the maximum power demand has been at least 50 kilowatts (kW) during a consumption period included in the 12 consecutive monthly periods preceding the date of the sign-up request.
Net Metering Option for a Rate G customer-generator
Rate option that allows a Rate G customer-generator to feed its surplus electricity back into the Hydro‑Québec grid in exchange for credits applied to the electricity bill.
Details on Net Metering Option I for Rate G customer-generators
Demand Response Option
The Demand Response (DR) Option is a rate option for Hydro‑Québec’s business customers. It allows eligible customers to receive a credit if they reduce their power demand during peak demand events at the request of Hydro‑Québec.
Dynamic pricing
Two offerings to help you save during winter!
The Winter Credit Option for Rate G customers and Rate Flex G were rolled out in winter 2019–2020. These rate offerings enable registered customers to save money by reducing their electricity use when demand is the greatest. They are being rolled out gradually and to a limited number of customers so that we can assure optimum support.
We are also conducting a pilot project on dynamic pricing for Rate M and G9 customers. If you would like more information about this project and whether it could apply to your business, please call us at 1 800 463-9900 or write to us at business@hydro.qc.ca.
Clean energy at a discounted rate available to greenhouse growers
The rate option for greenhouse growers allows customers to benefit from a discounted price for photosynthetic lighting and space heating to raise crops provided they limit their electricity consumption at Hydro‑Québec’s request.
Farms or residential buildings
Do you run a farm or own or manage residential buildings (single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings, etc.)? Find out more about the rates for which you may be eligible.
Electricity Rates – 2022 edition
The 2022 edition of the Electricity Rates presents the various rates applicable to residential, farm and business customers.
To find out more about the charges related to electricity service, consult Chapter 20 of the Conditions of Service [PDF 4.69 MB].
