Out of fairness to all customersOld-Generation Meters Must Be Accessible for Replacement

Hydro-Québec would like to remind customers who have received letters about this to get in touch with us as soon as possible to arrange for the replacement of their old-generation meters.

Since 2013, Hydro-Québec has rolled out over 3.8 million next-generation meters, or 97% of the total number to be installed. We are now continuing our efforts to reach some 119,000 customers who have not yet had their meters replaced. Eventually, all old meters will be replaced, under one of these two options:

Arrange for the free installation of a next-generation meter
Opt out of the next-generation meter, which will mean a one-time charge of $85 for the installation of a non-communicating meter, as well as a $5 monthly meter-reading charge

Over the last month, we have phoned or sent letters to 13,000 customers requesting access to their old-generation meters so they can be replaced. So far, we have updated the files of 8,436 customers:

83% have chosen a next-generation meter
6.1% have opted for a non-communicating meter

To date, after Hydro-Québec has made several attempts to contact them, only a very small number of customers (372) have still not arranged for their meters to be replaced. As we have advised them, if this situation continues, Hydro-Québec may, as a last resort, cut off their power as of April 1, the date that marks the end of the winter moratorium on service disconnections.

If you are one of these customers, please contact Hydro-Québec immediately at 1-855-462-1029 to sort out your situation.

Note that a few customers (472) will, under certain conditions, be allowed to keep their old-generation meters just until the date marked on the Measurement Canada seal. Until then, they will have to pay an inaccessibility charge of $85, in addition to a meter-reading charge of $5 a month.

Hydro-Québec meters must meet Measurement Canada standards and the company has a responsibility to ensure that the additional costs generated by the use of non-communicating meters are shouldered not by all customers, but by those who have chosen to opt out. Non-communicating meters require meter readers to travel to customers’ locations to read their meters.

Note that 400 million next-generation meters that use the same technology as Hydro-Québec’s meters are now in operation around the world.

Information

Marc-Antoine Pouliot
514-289-3173