Different solutions for different needs

Energy savings potential

In partnership with the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Hydro-Québec has set up a pilot project to install condensing dryers and high-efficiency spin washers in Nunavik. The appliances were installed in fall 2022, and the project’s results will be known in late 2023.

Following a call for proposals, the company asked a consulting engineering firm to perform energy audits of commercial and institutional buildings in Kuujjuaq. The audits will be used to assess the potential for energy savings and recommend appropriate energy efficiency measures that can be applied across Nunavik.

Monitoring energy performance

Using the energy performance indicator launched in 2022, residential customers can see their complete energy use data at a glance, better understand the factors that affect their consumption and receive personalized recommendations, enabling them to develop a plan of action to reduce their electricity bills. By December 31, 2022, just eight months after its introduction, 350,000 people were already using the indicator.

Commercial partnerships

Hydro-Québec has partnered with manufacturer Steffes to design a central heating system with a smaller thermal storage unit that is better suited to the Québec market. The new Serenity models have been incorporated into the commercial offering launched in 2021 and expanded in 2022 to most Québec regions. First geared to business customers only, the program now provides financial assistance to encourage residential customers who want or need to replace their central heating systems to install central heating systems with thermal storage. These all-electric systems help flatten heating-related demand peaks by storing heat during off-peak hours and generate savings for customers through dynamic pricing. They also allow for gradual post-outage recovery, which benefits the power grid.

Some 68 systems were installed in 2022, with total power consumption of 0.4 MW.

Efficient Heat Pump Program

Since the Efficient Heat Pump Program was launched in 2021, almost 81,000 participants have received financial assistance for the purchase and installation of eligible heat pumps. Altogether, their energy use has dropped by 233 GWh.

Another pilot project involving local businesses focuses on installing low-temperature heat pumps at 100 customer establishments in Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The heating data collected will be used to determine their impact on energy consumption and power management in this relatively temperate region.

Revamped program

Hydro-Québec is redesigning its refrigerator replacement program for low-income households. Since February 2022, we have been testing a new business model that provides a new ENERGY STAR® certified refrigerator through ACEF Montérégie-Est to low-income households in the region. If the results are conclusive, the program will gradually be extended region by region across the province in conjunction with local representatives working with our target clientele.

Promoting dynamic pricing

Managing demand

With the demand for Québec’s renewable electricity expected to rise, we will need additional capacity in the medium term. The means we currently have at our disposal for managing this situation include:

• Dynamic pricing, an offer that targets residential, farm and business customers (see the latest results below)

• Our subsidiary Hilo, whose turnkey service for businesses automatically manages their demand by adjusting their building heating, ventilation and humidity levels during winter peaks.

• The Demand Response and Interruptible Electricity options.

Enhanced rate offerings and Hilo smart energy services help free up system capacity during winter peaks.

North America’s lowest rates

Each year, our monthly electricity bills are held up to those of 21 major North American cities in a comparative analysis that covers the residential, commercial, institutional and industrial sectors. The results? Hydro-Québec residential customers pay rates that are among the lowest in North America.

For a monthly consumption of 1,000 kWh, Montréal is once again in first place. In 2022, Québec’s electricity rates were roughly half of what people pay in Toronto and just about one-fifth of those in New York.

Our electricity rates have remained in line with the Consumer Price Index in Québec for the last 50 years. Based on the information available to date, the Canadian Consumer Price Index is 879. The price index for electricity is 772, compared to 1,110 for natural gas and 2,600 for oil.

Average call wait time

The average call wait time at our customer relations centers was 110 seconds, compared to 95 seconds in 2020 and 101 seconds in 2021. After reducing wait times in recent years, we’ve reached a level that our customers are happy with.

Fewer complaints

At the heart of our business strategies are the customer experience and customer satisfaction. The number of complaints has fallen, dropping from 2,231 in 2020 to 1,979 in 2022.

Public satisfaction

In 2022, the percentage of customers who reported being “very satisfied” or “quite satisfied” with Hydro-Québec was 98%, compared to 96% in 2020 and 97% in 2021. To continue to improve satisfaction rates with our energy literacy and the support we provide during outages.