Hydro-Quebec insists clients are not being overbilled.
The power utility will be giving back about half of the amounts allegedly overpaid last year and the other half will go into the Quebec government's coffers.
Hydro-Quebec had said it'll come back to you collectively through a reduction in the next fare increase it'll be asking for that'll take effect next year, so it'll be like a credit except there won't be any personal cheques delivered to clients.
Hydro-Quebec said the amounts are not overbilling, that clients "always pay for their real electricity consumption according to the rates set by the Régie de l'énergie, and not a cent more. There was never any overbilling."
"These amounts are the results of earning variances. If Hydro-Québec perform better than expected, thanks to better cost controls, and has positive earnings variances at the end of the year, if we are in the (black), these amounts were return to Quebecers through the dividends paid by Hydro-Québec to the government every year. No amounts (are being) kept by Hydro-Québec here," said spokesman Louis-Olivier Batty.
Last year, the CAQ had come out with calculations showing that Quebecers overpaid by $1.5B between 2008 and 2016. In 2016, it was $36M alone.
Hydro-Quebec had said that the amounts overpaid were given to the provincial government and therefore went into paying for services to the public so they wouldn't be refunded.
A group representing Hydro customers alleging they were overcharged and paid more than they should have filed a motion last year for permission to launch a class action lawsuit.