Hydro-Quebec Disconnection

When can Hydro-Quebec disconnect your services?

Hydro-Quebec can disrupt your services if you’re late on payments. The process is as follows:

• They will send out a bill every two months or every month if you have signed up for the Equalized Payments Plan. If you didn’t pay your bill within 21 days of the billing date, they will proceed with collections.
• You will receive a late payment notice in the following days for which you will have 16 days to pay the amount due or a notice of interruption will be sent out. This notice will inform you that services will be cut off 9 days after the date of the notice of interruption, unless you have immediately paid the amount due or have come to a payment arrangement with them.
• 48h before the end of those 9 days, an automated call will inform you that they will proceed with the interruption.

Administration fees of 1.2% per month will be added to the amount that you owe.

What you can do

1. Discuss a payment arrangement – Hydro-Quebec encourages you to contact them as soon as you realize that you will not be able to pay. By law, Hydro-Quebec cannot disconnect your services between December 1st and March 31st, however your services will still be at risk of being disconnected after this period, and the administration fees will continue to accrue.
2. Contact a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) – A LIT will analyze your personal situation and may suggest you file a consumer proposal or personal bankruptcy. These options will put a stay of proceedings into effect that will protect you against electricity interrruption. Not only will these options protect you, but they also ensure that your debt will be fully paid off so that you never have to find yourself in this anxiety-inducing situation again.