What is a peak demand event?

A peak demand event, or peak event, is a set period during which Hydro‑Québec expects electricity demand to be very high. Between December 1 and March 31, there can be up to 30 of these events — on any day of the week, with up to two per day (see the schedule below).

During these events, the Hilo service automates your smart devices to help reduce your home’s electricity use. It does this by lowering the temperature settings on your thermostats, and it can also cut power to your electric water heater and EV charging station if you have compatible connected devices.

Peak events take place during periods of high demand — in the morning, in the evening, or both. You’ll receive a notification in the Hilo app the day before an event.

Schedule 

• Morning peak event: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (optional preheating phase; recovery phase from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)
• Evening peak event: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (optional preheating phase; recovery phase from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

During each of these phases, the temperature settings on your thermostats are gradually adjusted.

The preheating option is enabled by default for all connected thermostats. You can change this setting, as well as the participation mode (Moderate, Intrepid, or Extreme) for your thermostats, to suit your preferences.

If you have an electric water heater controller, power to your water heater will be cut at the start of the peak event and restored once the event is over.

If you have a compatible EV home charger, charging will be paused at the start of the peak event and will gradually resume during the recovery phase.