Eligibility
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 |
More information
To find out more about Rate DP, consult Section 3 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 2.31 MB].
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 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).
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.
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.
Rate
Electricity rate effective April 1, 2025.
Monthly periods
Period of 30 days, which may begin on any day of the month, established by Hydro‑Québec for billing purposes.