Quebec · electricity price checked October 8, 2026

Appliance energy cost calculator for Gatineau

In Gatineau, one more kWh from Hydro-Québec costs about $0.081/kWh with taxes for the first 40 kWh a day your home uses, and $0.128/kWh above that. At that rate an older top-freezer fridge (2002–2008) costs about $37 a year to run and a 2017-or-newer one about $30; a second fridge from the late 1990s in the garage costs about $51 a year, all of it saved by unplugging it.

One more kWh

$0.081/kWh

Hydro-Québec, taxes in

Average price

$0.097/kWh

a 1,000 kWh month, fixed charges in

Older 2nd fridge

$51

a year to run

Nights below −20 °C

ECCC normals, Ottawa CDA

Gatineau at a glance

Yearly running cost at $0.081/kWh, the price of one more kWh from Hydro-Québec with taxes. Each row compares the model or habit on the left with the efficient option on the right.

What common appliances cost to run in Gatineau
Appliance	Older or as is	Efficient option	Difference
Refrigerator, top freezerOlder (2002–2008) vs newer (2017 or later)	$37460 kWh	$30370 kWh	saves $7/yr
Second fridge (garage or basement)Older (1994–2001) vs newer (2017 or later)	$51620 kWh	$30370 kWh	saves $20/yr
Chest freezerOlder (2004–2009) vs newer (2017 or later)	$28340 kWh	$24295 kWh	saves $4/yr
Upright freezer, frost-freeOlder (2004–2014) vs newer (2017 or later)	$51630 kWh	$38465 kWh	saves $14/yr
Dishwasher (machine only)Older (2008 model) vs newer (2022 model)	$893 kWh	$670 kWh	saves $2/yr
Clothes washer (machine only)Older (2008 model) vs newer (2022 model)	$341 kWh	$227 kWh	saves $1/yr
Electric clothes dryerOlder (2008 model) vs newer (2022 model)	$74915 kWh	$45555 kWh	saves $29/yr
Heat pump dryer instead of a vented dryerVented electric dryer vs heat pump dryer	$49610 kWh	$19235 kWh	saves $30/yr
Electric range and ovenOlder (2008 model) vs newer (2022 model)	$42520 kWh	$45550 kWh	uses $2/yr more
Television, about 55 inchesOlder (2008–2009 LCD) vs newer (ENERGY STAR LED)	$23280 kWh	$792 kWh	saves $15/yr
Desktop computer and monitorDesktop vs laptop instead	$11135 kWh	$448 kWh	saves $7/yr
Game consoleLeft in instant-on standby vs switched fully off	$16200 kWh	$9110 kWh	saves $7/yr
Portable dehumidifierStandard model vs ENERGY STAR model	$30370 kWh	$26315 kWh	saves $5/yr
Outdoor hot tub	$3804,670 kWh	—	—
Light bulbs, 3 hours a day each60 W incandescent vs 10 W LED	$566 kWh	$111 kWh	saves $4/yr
Standby power (example set of devices)	$28350 kWh	—	—
Heat recovery ventilatorENERGY STAR minimum	—	$17215 kWh	—
Electric vehicle charging20,000 km a year at 24.1 kWh/100 km	$3904,820 kWh	—	—

Per bulb for lighting; the hot tub and standby rows are single estimates. Newer electric ranges are rated slightly higher than 2008 models, so replacing one for efficiency doesn't pay. Sources for every figure are listed below.

Block heaters in Gatineau

Gatineau averages 17 nights a year below −20 °C (ECCC 1981–2010 normals, Ottawa CDA station). A 500 W block heater plugged in all night (12 hours) on those nights uses about 100 kWh, or $8 a year; on a 4-hour timer, 34 kWh, or $3.

SaskPower suggests plugging in below −15 °C, which happens more often, and NRCan suggests a timer set to no more than 2 hours. The calculator lets you enter your own number of nights.

Electricity prices used here

$0.081/kWh for one more kWh, within the first 40 kWh a day. This is the price the calculator uses.
$0.128/kWh for each kWh above 40 kWh a day.
$0.097/kWh on average for a 1,000 kWh month, fixed charges included.

Fixed monthly charges don't change when you unplug something, so savings use the price of one more kWh. Check the price on your own bill: rates change, and some homes pay by time of use.

Common questions in Gatineau

How much does it cost to run a fridge in Gatineau?

At $0.081/kWh for each extra kWh, a 2002–2008 top-freezer fridge (about 458 kWh a year, Hydro-Québec data) costs about $37 a year, and a 2017-or-newer model (about 372 kWh) about $30. Bottom-freezer and ice-maker models use more.

Is an old second fridge worth unplugging?

A 1994–2001 fridge uses about 622 kWh a year, about $51 at Gatineau's price of $0.081/kWh. Unplugging it saves all of that; replacing it with a new model saves about $20 a year.

What does electricity cost in Gatineau?

Hydro-Québec electricity averages about $0.097/kWh for a 1,000 kWh month including taxes and fixed charges. One more kWh costs about $0.081/kWh within the first 40 kWh a day and $0.128/kWh above that; this calculator starts from the lower price, the conservative choice for savings. We use the price of one more kWh because turning an appliance off doesn't change fixed charges.

How much does a block heater cost to run in Gatineau?

A 500 W block heater left on 12 hours uses 6 kWh a night; on a 4-hour timer it uses 2 kWh (SaskPower). Gatineau averages 17 nights a year below −20 °C (ECCC normals), which costs about $8 without a timer and $3 with one. SaskPower suggests plugging in below −15 °C, which happens more often.

How much does a hot tub cost to run in Gatineau?

Hydro-Québec's calculator puts a year-round outdoor hot tub at about 4,667 kWh a year in Quebec's climate, about $380 at $0.081/kWh. Heat loss grows with the gap between water and air temperature, so expect more in a colder place than Quebec and less on the BC coast; a good cover matters most.

Does a heat pump dryer save money?

ENERGY STAR data for models sold in Canada put a vented electric dryer at about 608 kWh a year and a heat pump dryer at about 236 kWh (283 loads), a saving of about $30 a year in Gatineau. NRCan's rated figures show a 2008 dryer at 916 kWh and a 2022 model at 553 kWh.

How we calculate this

The formula

cost a year = kWh a year × how many × price of one more kWh

We use the price of one more kWh (no fixed charges) because switching off or replacing an appliance doesn't change your fixed charges. Where the price rises in steps (Hydro-Québec, BC Hydro, Yukon), we start from the lower first-step price, the conservative choice for savings; enter the higher one if your home is usually above the step.

saving = (kWh of the older model or habit − kWh of the efficient option) × price

The example household (one older fridge, newer laundry and kitchen appliances, 10 LED bulbs, a set of devices on standby and, in cold cities, a block heater without a timer) is an assumption to edit, not an average.

Where the kWh come from

Fridges and freezers: Hydro-Québec's appliance calculator data by model year (older = 2002–2008 or as labelled, new = 2017 and later).
Dishwashers, washers, dryers and ranges: NRCan's rated annual use for new units sold in 2008 and 2022 (machine only; the hot water is counted in the heating calculator).
TVs, computers and consoles: Hydro-Québec's wattages at 3 hours a day; dehumidifiers and heat pump dryers: ENERGY STAR medians for models sold in Canada.
Block heaters: 500 W; 12 hours a night without a timer, 4 hours on a timer (SaskPower). We pre-fill the number of nights with the yearly count of nights below −20 °C at your ECCC weather station, a conservative count of the nights SaskPower suggests plugging in (below −15 °C).
Hot tubs: Hydro-Québec's calculator figure, which reflects Quebec's climate; colder cities use more and coastal BC less.
Light bulbs: one 800-lumen bulb on 3 hours a day, 60 W incandescent or 10 W LED (Hydro-Québec). Microwave 1,200 W, space heater 1,500 W, pool pump 1,310 W at full speed or 310 W at low speed over a 120-day season: kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000.
Standby: 40 W around the clock for an example set of devices (Hydro-Québec wattages). Heat recovery ventilator: 22 L/s all year at the ENERGY STAR minimum fan efficacy, our arithmetic rather than a published figure.
Electric vehicles: the median of the 221 battery-electric listings in NRCan's 2026 Fuel Consumption Guide, 24.1 kWh/100 km, × the kilometres you enter (20,000 to start, NRCan's costing basis). Winter driving uses more.

Rated figures come from standard tests; your own use depends on habits, room temperature and how full the fridge is. Your utility's online account shows your actual hourly or daily use.

More for Gatineau

Heating and hot water costs in GatineauWhat heating, hot water and air conditioning cost at your local prices, and what each heating system would cost instead.Upgrade payback in GatineauSavings, rebates and payback for attic, wall and basement insulation, windows, air sealing and thermostat setbacks.Home health check in GatineauRadon results, winter humidity and window condensation, smoke and CO alarm rules, well water and mould.

Build your upgrade plan → All home services in Gatineau Energy bill analysis in Gatineau Home energy audits in Gatineau Quebec rebates and programs

Sources

Prices and programs checked October 8, 2026. Climate: NRCan HOT2000 (Ottawa International) for heating and ECCC 1981–2010 normals (Ottawa CDA) for cooling and temperatures.

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Appliance energy cost calculator for Gatineau