Winter Credit Option

Rate update

Adjustments are awaiting the approval of the Régie de l’énergie. See the interim provisions in the Electricity Rates [PDF 2.3 MB].

What to do during a peak demand event

The Winter Credit Option is designed to reduce electricity consumption during winter during peak demand events by encouraging customers to shift consumption to another time of day. You therefore need to change your habits during these peak events.

Essentials

Electric heating and hot water consumption make a big difference to your electricity bill. If you adopt good habits during peak demand events, you’ll save more.

Electric heating

Potential savings: very high

How to save: When you lower the temperature setting, your heating system turns off. The lower you set the temperature, the longer it stays off.

Understanding how lowering the temperature setting affects electricity use

Electric heating: A significant portion of the electricity used on cold days

On cold days, heating can represent up to 80% of your electricity consumption, so it’s important to follow Hydro-Québec’s heating tips to reduce your consumption during peak demand events and maximize your savings.

Things you can do

Open for more information

Hot water

Potential savings: average

Water heating is a home’s second biggest use of electricity. Whenever possible, shift your consumption to after a peak demand event to maximize your savings.

Things you can do

Small changes that make a difference

Every step, whether big or small, you take to use less electricity during a peak demand event will lower your electricity bill.

Greater comfort

Use a fuel-burning auxiliary heating system.

You can use your fuel-burning (oil, propane, natural gas or wood pellets) auxiliary heating system during peak demand events to stay comfortable while using less electricity.

Preheat your home ahead of a peak demand event.

Turning up all the thermostats 1°C to 3°C about two hours before a peak demand event will keep you comfortable during the event. But don’t forget to set the temperature a few degrees lower than usual when the event starts, depending on how much electricity you want to save. Residual heat will keep the temperature pleasant during the event, even though you’ve lowered the thermostat.

This method will help you save money, because you pay for the electricity (kWh) you consume in the winter at base rate (Rate D) prices and you receive 56.786¢ per kWh curtailed during peak demand events.

Understanding how lowering the temperature setting affects electricity use

Tip : Some thermostat models have an “early on” option that lets you program the time you want to have the desired temperature, rather than the time the temperature should start to rise. In that way, your heating system will stop running before the event begins.

Questions

A customized tool to track your savings

You can track your savings closely in your Customer Space.

There you’ll find the following information:

See your tracking tool

Test your knowledge

Answer the following questions to perfect your knowledge on your home’s electricity use and on what to do during peak demand events.

Take the test

A community created just for you!

This forum was created for customers who are signed up for Rate Flex D or the Winter Credit Option. It’s the ideal platform to ask questions, find answers and share tips and advice for peak events.

Join the community [in French only]

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At the start of a peak demand event

By lowering the temperature at the start of the peak demand event (and not beforehand), you are keeping your heating system off longer during the event and so maximizing your savings.

All your thermostats

If you lower just one or only a few thermostats, the other heaters are liable to compensate for the drop in heat, which may cancel out your efforts to use less electricity.

Rate

Electricity rate effective April 1, 2025.

Winter period

Period from December 1 through March 31 of the next year, 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).

Reference energy

Estimate of electricity usually used, determined by adding up the average number of kilowatthours recorded for the same times of day during the reference period and adjusting for the temperature. Averaging excludes minimum and maximum values in each hour.

Curtailed energy

Difference between the kilowatthours (kWh) usually consumed in peak hours (reference energy) and those consumed during a peak demand event (actual consumption). You must curtail at least 2 kWh per event to be eligible for a credit.