Hydro-Québec sometimes experiences delays so long that electricians offer to install power poles for a few thousand dollars. Citizens also decide to plant their own stake.
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Marie and André from Saint-Donat were tired of waiting for Hydro-Québec to come and plant their mast that would finally allow them to power their chalet. “My husband and his partner found a pole for around $500. They had the equipment and installed it themselves. Otherwise we would have had to wait a year to get Hydro. “It was just too long for us,” says Marie.
She and her partner still have to wait for Hydro to come and bandage them. “It should happen soon,” she said.
Nicolas Leblanc, a resident of Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci, a few kilometers away, had a surprise when he contacted a master electrician to help him connect his new home.
“The master electrician responsible for my project had already included the installation of the mast and the electrical cables in the offer. When I told him that it was free and that Hydro-Québec had to cover the tower and connection costs, he told me that the delays were too long and that the wait could be up to two years. Then it would be better to pay for it yourself. Then I said: “Just a minute, I don’t have to pay for that, I’d rather wait,” explains this building inspector. He adds that some electricians even “closed the line in his face” when he refused to pay for a pole. “They lose half of their bid, it’s easy money for them,” he says.
A widespread practice
Nicolas refused to pay for the pole (in his case, $10,000), but since the timelines for certain jobs like installing the poles are so long at the moment, some are willing to pay out of pocket to get things done accelerate. Some companies have discovered a good offer and offer to take care of this work, which can double the amount of the original offer.
“It depends on the agreement you have with your electrician,” explains Antoine Grondin of the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec. “There are some who do turnkey projects. They do it themselves if they have the equipment, or they hire a subcontractor to place the mast and make the connections,” he says.
An industry source, who wishes to remain anonymous because he is himself a supplier to Hydro-Québec, confirms that, without generalizing, this practice has become more widespread in recent years.
Not to pay for citizens
“However, it is better to call Hydro-Québec because they may want to install a transformer or certain devices in the mast,” emphasizes Antoine Grondin. It is always better to contact Hydro-Québec to find out if this is possible and what type of poles you need.”
Nicolas Leblanc waited more than a year to have his stake planted by Hydro-Québec and not have to pay, but he had to complain to his MP to get things started. “Why are there so many delays? Stop planting poles in the United States and plant some in Quebec! If you need a subcontractor, pay them, it shouldn’t be up to citizens to pay for it,” he says.
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