QUEBEC CITY -- Bill 34, which was passed last month at the National Assembly, will allow $35 million more in rebates to Hydro-Quebec customers than originally expected, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonatan Julien announced Tuesday
When passed, it was announced that Bill 34 would return $500 million to customers, freeze electricity rates in 2020 and then tie them to inflation as early as 2021. This piece of legislation was the Legault government's response to the issue of customer overpayments to Hydro-Québec.
Julien reports that the rebate amount now totals $535 million.
He specifies that the discount will be calculated based on electricity consumption and that it will be applied in the form of a credit on future invoices. People who are no longer Hydro-Québec customers, but who were subscribers in 2018, 2019 or both years, will receive their credit in the form of a check.
The adoption of the bill using closure in the National Assembly prompted protests from opposition parties, who claimed that the vast majority of groups testifying in a parliamentary committee on the matter had serious doubts about the benefits for consumers of Bill 34
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2020.
