What brought you here today?
Pick the question that fits. We will route you to the 4 best resources on this site.
Pick a question above to reveal a curated 4-resource shortlist.
Two doors into Quebec energy
Whatever you need, it lives in one of these two hubs. Pick whichever matches your situation.
Energy guides
5 plain-English guides on Hydro-Québec rates, reading your bill, dual energy (Rate DT), the LogisVert rebates and setting up service when you move.
Distributors
Hydro-Québec as the Crown utility, the ~10 municipal electric utilities (Sherbrooke, Westmount, Joliette, Magog…) and the gas distributors Énergir and Gazifère.
Quebec distributors directory
See all distributorsYour distributor is fixed by your address — and it is also your retailer. Pick yours for contact details, outage lines and how it works.
All Quebec energy guides
Open the guides hub5 guides, organised by cluster. Every one is plain English.
A 3% increase took effect April 1, 2026 for Rate D and the other domestic rates, lifting the typical residential price near 8.54 ¢/kWh blended (around 6.89 ¢ for the first 40 kWh/day and 10.80 ¢ above). The same household can pick from four rate options on the same wires: Rate D, Rate Flex D, Rate DT or Rate DPC. Most never compare them.
Hydro-Québec bills every two months by default, or monthly on the Equalized Payments Plan. The EPP is the lever that turns a $90 summer bill plus a $480 winter bill into the same flat amount each month — and a payment arrangement called in early is the difference between keeping the lights on and losing them.
A dual-energy system uses electricity as the main heat source and a fuel (usually natural gas) as backup, automatically switching when the outdoor temperature drops below −12 °C or −15 °C depending on the region. Under Rate DT electricity is much cheaper than Rate D when it is warm, much more expensive when it is cold — so the colder the snap, the more the gas backup saves you.
LogisVert is Hydro-Québec's flagship rebate stack: $50 per 1,000 BTU/h at −8 °C for an ENERGY STAR central heat pump, $120 per 1,000 BTU/h for a cold-climate model, up to about $7,840 per high-efficiency unit and up to $22,000 when paired with electric thermal storage. The trap is the stacking rules: you usually cannot claim LogisVert and Rénoclimat or Greener Homes for the same equipment.
On move-in day you submit a subscription request through Customer Space or by phone, with your move-in date, address and ID. Transferring an existing account is faster than starting fresh. Enable the three account-management services worth turning on at the same time: Online Billing, Pre-authorized Debit, and the Equalized Payments Plan.
One Crown utility, the Régie de l'énergie
Quebec is a regulated market with no retail competition. One Crown utility owns nearly everything, and the Régie de l'énergie sets the rates.
One utility from the dam to the meter. An independent regulator on rates.
Hydro-Québec generates, transmits, distributes and bills the electricity for about 99% of Quebec. A handful of cities run their own electric utility, and natural gas comes from Énergir (most of Quebec) and Gazifère (Outaouais). Every rate is set by the independent Régie de l'énergie du Québec, whose decisions are binding.
Crown corporation. Generation, transmission, distribution and retail for ~99% of Quebec. ~10 municipal utilities + 2 co-ops fill the gaps.
Énergir distributes gas across most of Quebec; Gazifère serves the Outaouais. Gas is far less common than cheap hydro power.
Independent economic regulator. Sets binding rates for Hydro-Québec and the gas distributors through public hearings.
Quebec vs the rest of Canada
Quebec leads the low-cost-hydro camp with BC and Manitoba. Alberta is the polar opposite; Ontario is a hybrid.
Albertans pick from 60+ retailers. The wires stay regulated.
Like Quebec: a Crown hydro utility, low rates, an independent regulator.
Regulated default price plus an opt-in competitive retail layer.
How Quebec got here
From the nationalisation of electricity to the James Bay megaprojects and today's electrification push.
Quebec nationalises Montreal Light, Heat & Power and creates Hydro-Québec to build out electricity service.
Under René Lévesque, Quebec buys out the remaining private utilities and consolidates them into Hydro-Québec — the Quiet Revolution.
Construction starts on the giant La Grande hydroelectric complex, the backbone of Quebec's cheap, clean power.
Quebec creates the independent Régie de l'énergie to set rates and oversee Hydro-Québec and the gas distributors.
Quebec adds wind generation and major export interties to the US and Ontario, monetising its surplus clean energy.
Hydro-Québec pushes heat pumps, dual energy and EVs with the LogisVert program to manage winter peaks and decarbonise heating.
The 60-second mental model
Three actors — and the Régie has the final word on rates.
Giant hydro dams — James Bay (La Grande), Manicouagan and dozens more — plus wind. About 99% clean, which is why rates are the lowest in North America.
Hydro-Québec owns the wires for ~99% of Quebec; ~10 cities run their own utility. Énergir and Gazifère deliver the gas. No competitive layer.
The independent regulator reviews every rate application in public hearings and issues a binding decision on what you pay.
So what does this actually mean for you?
Six concrete things that change because you are a Quebec energy consumer.
You cannot pick a power retailer. Hydro-Québec (or your city utility) bills you, set by your address. Savings come from your rate option and rebates, not switching.
Rate D is the standard residential rate, but Flex D, Rate DT (dual energy) and others can fit specific homes. Matching the rate to how you heat is the biggest lever.
Rate changes go through the Régie de l'énergie in public hearings, and its decision is binding. The record is public; read it before forming a view on a hike.
Pairing electric heat with gas backup on Rate DT cuts costs on the coldest days and eases the winter peak. It needs the right system and an Énergir connection.
Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program funds heat pumps, insulation and efficient equipment. Stack it with federal incentives in the right order.
Power out? Hydro-Québec 1-800-790-2424 (24/7), or your city utility inside its territory. Smell gas? Leave the building, then call Énergir, or 911 if anyone is hurt.
Energy in other provinces & territories
Canada energy homeEvery province and territory runs its energy market differently. Compare Quebec with its neighbours.
Frequently asked questions
Start with the right guide
The Quebec guide library covers Hydro-Québec rates, reading your bill, dual energy (Rate DT), the LogisVert rebates and setting up service when you move.