Credits when you time your energy use right in the winter
The Winter Credit Option is added to Rate D (base rate) and allows you to receive a credit if you reduce your electricity use during peak demand events . With this option, your bill can only go down.
On this page:
How the Winter Credit Option works
- When you sign up for the Winter Credit Option, you continue to pay for electricity at the base rate (Rate D).
- During an event, you’re entitled to a credit for every kilowatthour (kWh) “ curtailed ” (that is, not consumed compared with your usual energy use).
Peak demand events
- Peak demand events can take place any day of the week from December 1 to March 31, from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m.
- There may be 30 events per winter, at most, for a maximum of 120 hours in all. The number of hours of peak demand events may vary from one winter to the next, depending on the demand forecast, which fluctuates according to the weather and the state of the grid.
- Your savings potential may vary based on the number of peak event hours accumulated during the winter.
- The day before a peak demand event, you’ll receive a notification by email and, if you wish, through the Hydro‑Québec mobile app.
The more actions you take at the right time, the more you’ll save!
For example, if, during a peak demand event, you use 13 kWh less than usual at the same time of day, a credit of will be applied to your next bill.
If you can’t use less electricity during a peak demand event, the base rate applies, as usual, but you won’t receive a credit.
A customized tool to track your savings
You can track your credits in your Customer Space. There you’ll find:
- Your total credit for the winter period , updated the day after each peak demand event
- Detailed information about all past peak demand events (actual consumption , reference energy , curtailed energy , amount of the credit)
- Upcoming events for which you have received a notification
- History of previous winters
Eligibility
The Winter Credit Option is for Rate D (base rate) customers who are able to use less electricity during peak demand events or shift their nonessential electricity consumption to outside of those periods.
- You must have a Rate D service contract.
- Your electrical installation must be supplied by the main grid rather than by an off-grid system
- Metering must be done by a single communicating meter installed by Hydro‑Québec.
- You must have created a Customer Space. For as long as you are signed up for the Winter Credit Option, you must provide a valid email address to which peak demand event notifications will be sent.
- If you sign up between December 1 and March 31, you must have a consumption history of at least one monthly period under your service contract.
- You must not be signed up for any other rate options.
Credits when you time your energy use right in the winter
FAQs
The day before a peak demand event, you’ll receive a notification by email and, if you wish, through the Hydro‑Québec mobile app to notify you of the event start and end times. All peak demand event notifications will also be posted in your Customer Space.
Hydro‑Québec cannot be held responsible for nonreceipt of a notification due to the failure of equipment belonging to you or your telecommunications provider.
There is no pre-established threshold, but the temperature is an important factor.
Peak demand events are scheduled when we anticipate high demand for electricity in Québec in winter. That’s the main consideration. It’s true that on cold days everyone uses a lot of energy at the same time, so the temperature has an impact on demand forecasts. However, demand isn’t always the same for a given temperature. For example, if it is −10°C for several days in a row, demand for electricity will be greater on the last day than on the first.
Other factors that affect the forecasted demand have to do with operating constraints related to electricity supply as well as power transmission and distribution. To manage power demand, Hydro‑Québec diligently applies all the means at its disposal, including dynamic pricing.
Peak demand events can take place from December 1 to March 31, from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m., excluding December 24, 25, 26 and 31, and January 1 and 2, as well as Good Friday and Easter Monday when they fall within the winter period .
- Maximum number of events per day: 2 events
- Duration of an event: 4 hours
- Maximum total duration of events in the winter period: 120 hours
No. Hydro‑Québec can ask some or all of its customers enrolled in either Rate Flex D or the Winter Credit Option to reduce the pressure on the grid during peak periods.
Participating households can therefore be asked to reduce their electricity use at the same times or at different times based on system needs and the rate option chosen. The objective is to balance out demand and avoid additional costs associated with importing electricity and upgrading grid infrastructure.
Peak demand events can take place seven days a week, morning or night, regardless of the rate option chosen.
The day before a peak demand event, you'll receive a notification by email or through the Hydro‑Québec mobile app, or both. The notification, which includes the event start and end times, is also available in your Customer Space.
Yes. Hydro‑Québec can ask some or all of its customers enrolled in either Rate Flex D or the Winter Credit Option to reduce the pressure on the grid during peak periods.
Participating households can therefore be asked to reduce their electricity use at the same times or at different times based on system needs and the rate option chosen. Each household therefore receives a notification if the peak demand event applies to them.
You can cancel this option at any time by notifying Hydro‑Québec through your Customer Space or by calling customer services. The option will cease to apply the day after Hydro‑Québec is notified.
Hydro‑Québec reserves the right to cancel your enrollment in this option if there are recurring problems in gathering hourly metering data.
If you have a Rate D service contract with the Winter Credit Option and the energy curtailed (curtailment) during a peak demand event exceeds 40 kilowatthours (kWh), this triggers a verification of the reference energy calculation.
Following the verification, the curtailment may be adjusted downward if the data used to calculate the temperature adjustment reveals significant differences that would infer that someone intentionally took action to increase the consumption limit for the event, and therefore the credit amount.
In some cases, the curtailment may be adjusted downward even if no intentional action was taken. This measure is designed to reflect the fair value of the curtailment. Please note that it is still possible to reach a curtailment of more than 40 kWh with this new rule.
In summary, only the temperature adjustment calculation differs from that of previous seasons when the reference energy is being determined.
For more information about the temperature adjustment, please refer to Section 8 of the document entitled Electricity Rates 2025.
Under no circumstances shall the information provided here replace the Electricity Rates.
More information
To find out more about the Winter Credit Option for Rate D customers, see Section 8 of Chapter 2 of the Electricity Rates [PDF 1.44 MB].
Peak demand event
A time period during which Hydro‑Québec has determined that electricity demand will be very high. There may be 30 events per winter, at most, for a maximum of 120 hours in all.
Peak demand event
A time period during which Hydro‑Québec has determined that electricity demand will be very high. There may be 30 events per winter, at most, for a maximum of 120 hours in all.
Rate
Electricity rate effective April 1, .
Curtailed energy
Difference between the kilowatthours (kWh) usually consumed in peak hours (reference energy) and those consumed during a peak demand event (actual consumption).
Curtailed energy
Difference between the kilowatthours (kWh) usually consumed in peak hours (reference energy) and those consumed during a peak demand event (actual consumption).
Winter period
Period from December 1 through March 31 of the next year, inclusive.
Actual consumption
Energy used during a peak demand event.
Off‑grid system
An “off‑grid system” is a power system not connected to Hydro‑Québec’s main grid.
Monthly periods
Period of 30 days, which may begin on any day of the month, established by Hydro‑Québec for billing purposes.
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.