Colder temperatures bring higher bills

The cold spell from the end of December to early January means that Hydro-Québec customers who use electric heating can expect their bill to be higher than usual for these two months. The colder the outdoor temperature, the more energy it takes to heat a home: even if you don’t turn up your thermostats, your bill will be higher because you will use more electricity to keep your home at the temperature you are used to.

For December alone, Hydro-Québec customers can expect an increase of $12 (for an apartment) to $39 (for an average house). Obviously, the increase depends on the home, including insulation quality, household size and the habits of family members. 

How to save electricity

To have a real impact, you must know what uses the most electricity. Heating accounts for almost 55% of winter electricity costs, and water heating for 20%, so these two factors should be the focus of your efforts. Here are some tips for winter savings:

• Lower the temperature by a degree or two at night and at all times in unoccupied rooms.

• Feel a draft? Insulate your windows with plastic film.

• Reduce your use of hot water by taking shorter showers and doing laundry in cold water.

How to plan and pay for electricity bills

Hydro-Québec has various tools to help you plan and manage your electricity bill:

• Sign up for the Equalized Payments Plan (EPP)
• Increase your EPP installment amount so that it reflects your actual consumption.
• Enter into a payment arrangement to spread out the payment of a large amount.