Damage to your electric or electronic appliances
Even if the cause of the damage is electrical, this does not mean that Hydro
Québec is liable.
Barring gross or intentional
fault, Hydro Québec offers no compensation for damage to a device
or appliance. We strongly advise you to contact your insurer in
a case such as this.
Below are examples of situations where Hydro Québec cannot be held liable
for damages:
Gross fault is defined as a fault that demonstrates gross recklessness, gross
carelessness or gross negligence.
Civil Code of Québec
- A meteorological event (e.g., a storm)
- Voltage or frequency variations or losses – it is up to you to protect your
electrical installation and electronic appliances against such events, for
instance with power bars with surge protection
- A service interruption caused by an emergency, an accident, equipment
failure or the activation of system protective devices
- A service interruption or non-delivery of electricity due to maintenance,
repairs, system modification/management or for reasons of public utility or
safety
See
sections 12.2 and 12.3 of our Conditions of Service approved by the Régie de
l’énergie [PDF 5 MB]
In the event that Hydro-Québec is found liable
The compensation amount provided will be established based on the age and
condition of the device or appliance at the time of the event.
In other words, the value of the good on the day the damage occurs will be
determined according to the cost of its replacement, minus a
deduction for its depreciation, determined mainly by its condition,
age, wear and normal service life. You will therefore not receive the full
replacement value of the damaged good.
For instance, if it is established that Hydro-Québec is liable for the damage
caused to a five-year-old device or appliance, the indemnity paid will
correspond to the value of a similar type of device or appliance of the same age
or the cost for its repair, whichever is lower.
Ask your insurer if your insurance contract covers total replacement compensation
for the damaged belonging.
Loss of food, loss of income or other losses resulting from an outage, work on
the system or a planned service interruption
Barring gross or intentional
fault, Hydro Québec offers no compensation for losses incurred due
to an outage.
Hydro Québec may, at any time, interrupt electricity service for system
maintenance or safety reasons. However, in the case of a planned service
interruption, we make every effort to inform you in advance (robocalls and
telephone notifications).
We advise you to contact your insurer.
See
sections 12.1 and 12.2 of our Conditions of Service approved by the Régie de
l’énergie [PDF 5 MB]
Damage to a vehicle following a collision
In Québec, under the
Direct Compensation Agreement , you must call your insurer directly in
the event of a collision between two or more vehicles. This rule also applies to
collisions involving a Hydro-Québec vehicle.
Even if Hydro Québec is liable, your insurer is the one who must contact us, if
necessary. In fact, all motorists are directly compensated by their insurer.
When a vehicle collides with a pole or any other Hydro-Québec equipment
If damage is incurred as a result of a collision between your vehicle and a Hydro
Québec utility pole or other equipment, you must call your insurer, who will
then contact us, if necessary.
Damage caused to your property by Hydro‑Québec employees or
representatives
If a Hydro Québec employee or representative sees that they have caused damage
while working on your property, they will leave a notice to that effect on your
door.
- If the notice bears the Hydro Québec logo, we will get in
touch with you to remedy the situation.
- If the notice does not bear the Hydro Québec logo, this
means the work was carried out by another company. You must contact them
directly.
If no notice was left and you believe that a
Hydro‑Québec
employee or
representative caused damage to your property, you may file a claim with us.
However, we suggest that you contact your insurer first. They can help you assess
the situation and confirm whether your policy covers this type of damage. This
approach is generally more advantageous for you, as you may benefit from
coverage with more comprehensive repairs, depending on the coverage provided
by your contract. It can also be a quicker way to have your claim processed.
If you prefer to file your claim directly with Hydro‑Québec, you will need
to
show
that Hydro‑Québec caused the damage. If our review confirms this, you will
be
responsible for arranging the repairs. You may choose to carry out the work
yourself and receive compensation or hire a specialized contractor. If you use a
contractor, you must provide Hydro‑Québec with at least two estimates so
that we
can determine the reimbursement based on the repairs that are required.
Please note that repairs must restore your property to the condition it was in
before the damage occurred. Depending on the nature of the property,
depreciation may apply. Compensation covers only the areas that were damaged.
For example, only the damaged portion of the lawn would be repaired, not the
entire lawn.
A note about work to clear power lines
To maintain the reliability of electricity service, Hydro-Québec must ensure
that trees don’t damage the power distribution system. Depending on where
trees are and what their function is, the company may prune or cut them
down. Work is done in compliance with best practices, and tree waste is
disposed of as the situation warrants. Vegetation control work does not
constitute property damage, unless an accident occurs.
Find out
more about vegetation control measures and how tree waste is disposed of
after clearing work.
