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Is there a Hydro-Québec peak event today?

Today's and tomorrow's residential peak events, live from Hydro-Québec's open data, for Rate Flex D and the Winter Credit option.

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Source: Hydro-Québec open data (CC BY-NC 4.0), residential offers. Raw data provided without warranty: the official notice Hydro-Québec sends you by email takes precedence. See the dataset

What is a Hydro-Québec peak event?

On the coldest winter days, electricity demand in Quebec peaks in the morning, when everyone turns up the heat and gets ready, and at the end of the afternoon. To relieve the grid, Hydro-Québec calls peak demand events and asks customers enrolled in its dynamic offers to use less electricity during those few hours.

For residential customers, two offers are involved: Rate Flex D, where electricity is cheaper most of the time but much more expensive during events, and the Winter Credit option, which pays a credit for the electricity you don't use during events. The events are generally the same for both.

The rules for residential peak events

As published by Hydro-Québec:

  • Peak events only happen during the winter period, from December 1 to March 31.
  • They last four hours: from 6 to 10 a.m. or from 4 to 8 p.m. Some days have both.
  • They can fall on any day of the week, weekends included.
  • Customers enrolled in Rate Flex D or the Winter Credit option are notified the day before, by email or in the Hydro-Québec or Hilo app.
  • Rate Flex D has at most 30 events per winter, for a maximum of 120 hours. During an event, the kWh costs more than 45¢ (46.46¢ with the rates in effect on April 1, 2026).
  • The Winter Credit option is no longer available to new customers since March 31, 2026. Contracts already enrolled keep it.

Last winter in numbers (2025–2026)

Counted from Hydro-Québec's open data, for residential customers:

19

Rate Flex D events, i.e. 76 hours out of the 120-hour maximum

20

Winter Credit events

14 / 5

Morning (6–10 a.m.) vs evening (4–8 p.m.) Flex D events

5

Of the 14 Flex D event days fell on a weekend

Most events were called in December and January, during cold snaps. Some days had both a morning and an evening event: when a cold spell hits, expect several events in a row.

How to prepare for a peak event

The goal is to use as little electricity as possible during the four hours, without being cold:

  • Pre-heat: raise the thermostats by a degree or two in the hours before the event, so the house stores heat.
  • During the event: lower the thermostats by a few degrees, then restore them when it ends.
  • Water heater: cut it during the event with a smart relay. A tank heated beforehand usually covers the four hours.
  • Heavy appliances: hold the dryer, the dishwasher and the EV charger until the event is over.
  • Evening before: check this page or your notification, and plan the morning.

Doing all this by hand at 6 a.m. on a cold weekday is exactly what people forget. That's what automation is for.

Automate your peak events with Gladys Assistant

Gladys Assistant is a free, open-source smart home platform that runs on your own mini-PC or Raspberry Pi. Its community Hydro-Québec integration connects to your account and knows when a peak or the pre-heat period before it is in progress, for Flex D and Winter Credit contracts.

From there, your scenes do the work: pre-heat, lower the Zigbee thermostats, cut the water heater, hold the EV charger, and notify you. Everything runs locally, and you see what Flex D saved you compared to the base rate on your dashboard.

Rate Flex D, explained →The Hydro-Québec integration →

Lowering your winter electricity bill is a whole project:

Hydro-Québec Rate Flex D →

How Flex D works, whether it's worth it, and the automations that make it pay off.

Sinopé Zigbee thermostats →

Control Sinopé thermostats locally over Zigbee, without Neviweb.

Reduce your electricity bill →

Track your consumption and act on the data, locally and privately.

Works with Gladys →

Thermostats, relays, plugs and appliances you can control from Gladys.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Hydro-Québec peak event today?

The widget at the top of this page shows today's and tomorrow's residential peak events, live from Hydro-Québec's open data. Peak events only happen between December 1 and March 31, from 6 to 10 a.m. or from 4 to 8 p.m. Customers enrolled in Rate Flex D or the Winter Credit option are also notified the day before by email or in the Hydro-Québec or Hilo app.

When are Hydro-Québec peak events announced?

The day before. Hydro-Québec notifies enrolled customers by email or in its app, and publishes the events in its open data, which this page reads. In case of a discrepancy, the official email notice takes precedence.

What time are Hydro-Québec peak events?

Residential peak events last four hours, from 6 to 10 a.m. or from 4 to 8 p.m. Some cold days have both a morning and an evening event.

How many peak events are there per winter?

Rate Flex D has at most 30 events per winter, for a maximum of 120 hours. Last winter (2025–2026), Hydro-Québec called 19 Flex D events (76 hours) and 20 Winter Credit events, mostly in December and January.

Can there be a peak event on a weekend?

Yes. Peak events can fall on any day of the week. Last winter, 5 of the 14 Flex D event days were on a Saturday or a Sunday.

What's the difference between Flex D and Winter Credit peak events?

They are generally called on the same days and hours. With Rate Flex D, the price rises to more than 45¢/kWh during the event; with the Winter Credit option, you earn a credit for the electricity you don't use. The Winter Credit option is no longer available to new customers since March 31, 2026.

How can I automate Hydro-Québec peak events?

With a smart home platform like Gladys Assistant, free and open source. Its Hydro-Québec integration knows when a peak or a pre-heat period is in progress, and your scenes can pre-heat, lower the thermostats, cut the water heater and notify you, locally.

Let your home handle the peaks

Gladys is free, open-source and runs on your own hardware. Connect your Hydro-Québec account and automate every peak event.

Get startedRate Flex D, explained