Quebec energy board cuts fees for smart-meter opt-out
Hydro-Québec ordered to reduce opt-out fee by $33
Quebec’s energy board is forcing Hydro-Québec to slash the proposed fees charged to homeowners who opt to have the utility install a non-transmitting, manually read meter instead of a smart meter.
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Hydro-Québec's initial fee charged to those who wanted it to install a “non-communicating meter,” or one without a radio frequency, in place of a smart meter was $98.
In May, it lowered those fees to $48, in addition to an $8-a-month charge tacked on to power bills.
Several groups, including the consumer advocacy organization Union des Consommateurs, asked the provincial energy board to investigate.
In a ruling released today, the Régie de l'énergie found that even the reduced fees were too high and ordered Hydro-Québec to cut them by nearly 60 per cent.
Energy Minister Pierre Arcand said he was happy with the ruling, calling it a victory for consumers.
“We don’t need to penalize the consumer who use those kinds of meters,” he said.
Hydro-Québec would not comment on the ruling.
Energy analyst Marc-Olivier Moisan-Plante said Hydro-Québec likely set the fees higher than necessary in an effort to deter customers from refusing to have smart meters installed.
The ruling also includes a provision for customers who already opted out under the old fee structure. Hydro-Québec will have to refund them the difference, plus interest.
Hydro-Québec plans to replace 3.75 million analog meters across the province by 2018, for a total cost of close to a billion dollars.
| Initial fee | Reduced fee (May 2014) | Energy board fixed fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opt out fee before 30 day deadline | $98 | $48 | $15 |
| Opt out fee after 30 day deadline | $137 | $85 | $85 |
| Reading fee on monthly bill | $17 | $8 | $5 |