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How Much Is the Average Monthly Cost of a Utility Bill in Alberta?
The average monthly utilities cost in Alberta is $241.81.
Alberta is a fertile slice of land in Western Canada, with prairies, mountains, desert badlands and vast coniferous forest. It is the 4th most populous province in Canada after Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.
Being such a beautiful yet natural resource-rich province, people from across Canada and all over the world come to Alberta to explore abundant job opportunities due to its rapid economic growth.
If you are moving to Alberta (or planning to), the first concern will be the cost of utilities. Alberta has a cold and dry climate, but it has an abundance of natural gas resources.
Let’s see how much it costs for electricity, water, gas, internet, cable & home phones in 2023 in Alberta.
Type of Utility Bill in Alberta | Average cost |
The Average Cost of Electricity in Alberta | $101.01 |
The Average Cost of Water in Alberta | $44.40 |
The Average Cost of Natural Gas in Alberta | $39.41 |
The Average Cost of Internet in Alberta | $80 |
The Average Cost of Cable in Alberta | $35.00 |
The Average Cost of Home Phones in Alberta | $43 |
Total Average Cost of Utilities in Alberta (per month, electricity not included) | $241.81 |
How Much Is the Average Monthly Cost of an Electricity Bill in Alberta?
The average monthly electricity rate in Alberta is $101.01.
Alberta is a natural gas-rich province and accounts for 77% of the total energy use amongst Alberta households. A gas furnace might cost you a bit upfront but is cheaper to run compared to an electric furnace.
If we talk about Alberta specifically, natural gas is the cheapest and is the point of production for Canadian natural gas. Nearly half of the electricity generation mix comes from coal in Alberta, so a natural gas furnace would be a cheaper option.
Here’s a brief comparison:
Gigajoule (GJ) | Kilowatt-hour (kWh) |
1.00 | 277.778 |
3.6 x 10⁻³ | 1.00 |
1 kWh will cost you 15.119 ¢/kwh meanwhile, natural gas is only $4.55/GJ.
However, gas furnaces are 78-98.5% efficient depending on the age and model, compared to the 100% efficiency offered by electric furnaces. But gas furnaces can heat up your home quickly, thereby using less energy than a comparable electric alternative.
Alberta is the only province in which the market determines the price of power and most of the power generation is based on fossil fuels (43% from coal and 49% from natural gas). The remaining 8% is produced from renewables, such as wind, hydro, and biomass.
The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) reviews the cost of regulated utilities in detail and approves the rates to ensure all of the charges are fair and reasonable.
Here are a few other factors that affect the cost of electricity in Alberta:
Here are a few other things you’ll find on your bill:
And finally, the cost of electricity also depends on whether you opt for fixed or variable rates.
The GOA Act mandates RRO providers (including EPCOR) to recover the real cost of power over the price cap, which will be applied to RRO customer bills between April 2023 and December 2024. RRO clients will see the deferral rate and electricity rate below as a single line item on page 2 of their bills beginning in April 2023.
Approved RRO market electricityrate (¢ per kWh) | GOA/RRO deferral rate (¢ per kWh) | Administration charges ($ per day) | |
Apr 2023 | 15.119 ¢ | 2.615 ¢ | $0.206 |
Residents of Alberta have two options to buy electricity from:
According to AUC, a typical residential consumer’s electricity bill in Alberta, consuming 600 kWh per month, is around $90.74.
Here are the ¢/kWh rates for some of the famous energy providers in Alberta:
Company | Residential (¢/kWh) | Commercial |
EPCOR Energy Alberta GP | 15.119 ¢ | 15.119 ¢ |
Direct Energy Regulated Services | 20.134 ¢ | $0.19908 |
ENMAX Energy Corporation | 17.662 ¢ | 18.681 ¢ |
*Average Administration charges ($ per day): $0.202
Electricity (kWh) | EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc. | EasyMax by ENMAX Energy Corp. | ATCOenergy |
April 2023 600 kWh | $90.71 | $105.97 | $106.36 |
Sign up with ATCOenergy and get $50 off your first bill using promo code “ALBERTA”.
ATCOenergy is one of the leading electricity and natural gas retailers in Alberta. As a local Alberta company, ATCOenergy aims to provide great rates, flexible payment options, the ability to change plans anytime as well as local customer support that includes a simple online chat. Switching to ATCOenergy is easy as it takes fewer than 10 minutes, your service won’t be interrupted, and no one will come to your home.
How Much Is the Monthly Average Water Bill in Alberta?
The average monthly water bill in Alberta is $44.40.
The way water works in Alberta is that several local water utilities operate throughout Alberta to deliver water to residential and non-residential customers. The consumers are charged for the cubic meters of water they consume in a specified time period. In addition to that, there will be a basic monthly service charge based on the size of the water meter you have installed in your home.
Other water charges include:
The type of charges can vary from community to community and your local water utility. Most water bills in Alberta have two main components:
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The municipality where you live owns, operates and maintains the water utility, and sometimes it contacts a private company (like EPCOR, ENMAX) to handle the water-related services.
Here are a few factors that affect the cost of water:
The Alberta Utilities Commission approves investor-owned water utility rates.
Company Name | Average Rate Per Cubic Meter (m3) | Fixed Monthly Charge |
EPCOR (Edmonton) | $2.2279 | $66.72 (40mm) |
Corex Utilities (Foothills Water) Inc. | $1.58 | $44.85 |
Langdon Waterworks Limited | $1.347 | $40.00 |
ENMAX (Calgary) | $1.39 | $14.77 |
Meter Size (mm) | Average Cost |
25mm | $33.37 |
40mm | $66.72 |
75 mm | $200.17 |
Cubic Meter (m3) monthly usage | Average Cost $2.22/m3 |
10 m3 1-2 people | $22.20 |
20 m3 2-3 people | $44.4 |
30 m3 3-5 people | $66.6 |
(* Calgary.ca, EPCOR & AUC)
How Much Is the Monthly Average Natural Gas Price in Alberta?
The average monthly natural gas price in Alberta is $39.41.
Alberta gas production represented 65% of total Canadian natural gas production in 2018. The province has an abundance of natural gas and that is the reason why on average, Albertans use the most natural gas per household in Canada—110 GJ (annually).
The Alberta Utilities Commission regulates the monthly gas prices. You can buy natural gas from your local regulated gas retailers. The gas utility forecasts consumption for the upcoming month and the market price using monthly and daily indices, and the AUC oversees the whole process.
Similar to how electricity works in Alberta, you have two options with natural gas:
The purchase and delivery of natural gas might be handled by two different companies or just one. Following are the gas retailers in Alberta:
Natural gas prices are established through the Natural Gas Exchange (NGX) electronic trading platform. The sellers put gas on sale, and the buyers (gas utility companies) bid for purchase. The prices fluctuate depending on current supply and demand. Major weather events and seasons can also affect the market price.
Here are a few other factors that affect the cost of natural gas in Alberta:
Alberta Natural Gas Bill Components:
ATCO charges its consumers based on the average usage of natural gas in a month. Here’s the breakdown:
Usage | Criteria | Fixed charge ($/daily) | Delivery Only Variable Energy ($/GJ) |
Low Use | <1200 GJ/YR | 1.064 | 1.059 |
Mid Use | 1200-8000 GJ/YR | 2.025 | 1.124 |
High Use | >8000 GJ/YR | 7.559 | 0.205 ($/GJ/Day) |
2023 Natural Gas Regulated Rates in $/GJ | |||
Retailer | |||
Distributor | |||
January | 6.446 | 6.405 | |
February | 3.715 | 3.176 | |
March | 2.222 | 2.851 | |
April | 3.381 | 3.756 | |
Distributor | |||
January | 3.893 | 3.398 | |
February | 4.842 | 5.259 | |
March | 4.758 | 5.120 | |
April | 5.281 | 3.907 |
*Average of 2023 natural gas rates considering the average home in Alberta uses 600 kWh of electricity and 10 GJ of natural gas every month.
Natural Gas (GJ) | ||
January Average 10 GJ | $64.46 | $64.05 |
February Average 10 GJ | $ 37.15 | $31.76 |
March Average 10 GJ | $22.22 | $28.51 |
Monthly Average | $41.27 | $37.56 |
*This includes retail charge, admin fee, distribution fee, federal carbon tax, and GST.
How Much Is the Average Monthly Internet Bill in Alberta?
The average monthly internet bill in Alberta is $80.00.
About 81% of Alberta’s population lives in an urban area, with 19% in the rural areas. So, internet access to both these population segments is crucial, and the Alberta government has been working to make high-speed internet accessible for everyone.
There are four popular types of internet connections available in Alberta:
Several local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) charge you based on the internet speed (download and upload) and bandwidth. Moreover, the type of internet connection and the type of internet plan can also impact how much you’ll be paying watching YouTube videos and surfing the internet.
The rural and remote areas use Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for internet access. While in an urban area, you can opt for any type of internet connection. There are 45 Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) in the province!
The following factors affect the cost of the Internet:
The following factors affect the cost of the internet:
According to the CRTC (The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission), the average person in Alberta pays $80.00 per month for a 50/10 Mbps service with unlimited monthly data transfer. Here are the average Internet costs in Alberta based on type of connection and speed.
Type of Internet | Mbps | Average Cost |
DSL | 25/2.5 Mbps | $50.00/month |
Cable | 75/7.5 Mbps | $58.95/month |
Fiber-optic | 75/10 Mbps | $75.00/month |
10 Mbps | $39.99/month |
(*Virgin Plus, Telus, Distributel & Bell Canada)
How Much Is the Average Monthly Cost of a Cable Bill in Alberta?
The average monthly cost of a cable bill in Alberta is $35.00.
Cable TV providers vary from city to city, and a few still operate legacy cable TV services. The cable services are affordable due to the legislation that requires cable providers to offer at least one budget-friendly subscription option.
Many cable TV providers in Alberta have also moved towards IPTV, but there can be interruptions similar to those experienced in your internet connection.
Cable TV runs even if you don’t have access to an internet connection and have exclusive channels such as local sports channels that internet streaming services do not.
Legacy cable TV heavily depends on the physical hardware and infrastructure for uninterrupted services. Both of these can affect the cost of cable. Here are a few other factors that determine how much you’re going to pay for your favourite channels:
Legacy cable means “cables,” and lots of them. If you don’t want to get into the hassle, here are a few affordable alternatives to cable:
Here are the cable costs in Alberta based on their basic package type of plan.
Cable TV Company Name | Plan and Basic Channels | Rates |
VMedia TV | Starter TV package | $19.95 |
Shaw cable | Basic Package (65 + Basic Channels) | $34.99 |
VMedia TV | 60 plus popular channels | $49.95 |
(*MovingWaldo, Shaw.ca, VMedia TV, & Telus Optik TV)
How Much Is the Average Monthly Home Phone Bill Cost in Alberta?
The average monthly home phone bill cost in Alberta is $43.00.
Most provinces have seen steady declines in landline usage, but home phones are still a thing in Alberta, with 56% of households still using them for reliable communication. Home phones are reliable, provide unlimited local calling, and can’t be hacked. What’s not to love?
Many home phone service providers in Alberta (Vmedia, Telus, etc.) offer unlimited calling within Canada and USA with low long-distance calling rates. Many Albertans have also switched to wireless communication devices instead, and that has limited home phones to specific areas. Make sure you check the availability of services before hitting that “Buy Plan” button.
Here are a few useful features that your home phone should have:
Home phones are still in the game as they offer perks that a digital phone or VoIP cannot match. The added features decide how much the service provider is going to charge you. Here are some of the factors that affect the cost of home phones:
Here are the home phone costs in Alberta based on their type of plans:
Company Name | Plan and Inclusions | Rates |
Virgin Plus | Home phone plans – Unlimited Canada-wide calling International Long Distance Call | $20/mon. $5/mon. (Lowest rates starting at 5¢/min per)minute. |
Telus | Home Phone Plan – Unlimited local calling with 9 calling features included | $40/mon. |
Bell Canada | Home phone Lite – Unlimited local calling + Unlimited Canada and U.S. | $54.00/mo.
|
*** Phone activation, connection fees and other one time charges are not included in the rates above.
(* Bell Canada, Virgin Plus, & Telus)
What Is the Average Monthly Utilities Cost in Calgary?
The average monthly utilities cost in Calgary is $238.23.
Calgary is the most populous city in Alberta, with a population of roughly 1.25 million people. The average annual temperature is 3.6 °C and snow depths of greater than 1 cm are seen on about 88 days each year in Calgary. These weather conditions determine how much you’re going to spend on your HVAC. Furthermore, there are a number of energy retailers that cater to the needs of residents of Calgary. The cost of living in Calgary is $1938 per month for a one bedroom apartment.
Utility | Average Monthly Cost |
Electricity Yearly Average: 600 kWh @ 15.119 ¢ per kWh | $90.71 |
Water (Based on average consumption of 2-3 people) | $44.40 |
Yearly Average: 10.6 GJ @ $3.381/GJ | $35.83 |
Internet 50/10 Mbps-Unlimited | $80 |
Cable | $35.00 |
Home Phone | $43 |
Total average utilities cost in Calgary Electricity not included | $238.23 |
(*UCA Helps, Calgary.ca & CRTC)
What Is the Average Cost of Utilities in Canada?
The average cost of utilities in Canada is $348 per month.
Electricity | Water | Gas | Internet | Cable | Home Phone | Total Monthly Cost | |
Quebec | $199.74 | Included in hydro | $61.66 | $69 | $30.24 | $24.98 | $323.96 (gas not included) |
Ontario | $85.40 | $85.17 | $51.42 | $70 | $49 | $33 | $320.87 (gas not included) |
Alberta | $101.01 | $44.40 | $39.41 | $80.00 | $35.00 | $43 | $241.81 (electricity not included) |
British Columbia | $132.60 | $118.80 | $110.88 | $89.50 | $27 | $43 | $410.90 (gas not included) |
Manitoba | $102 | $65 | $137.64 | $91 | $58 | $48 | $363 (gas not included) |
Saskatchewan | $119.60 | $97.06 | $103 | $93.00 | $38 | $21.54 | $369.20 (gas not included) |
PEI | $139 | $101 | $363 | $87 | $35 | $21 | $383 (gas not included) |
New Brunswick | $121 | $59 | $125 | $75 | $48 | $21 | $324 (gas not included) |
Nova Scotia | $183 | $78 | $226 | $74 | $35 | $21 | $391 (gas not included) |
Utilities ensure that your household functions properly and remains comfortable, but the cost is recurring and variable. Knowing average household utility costs can help you reduce your usage and save tons of money at the end of the year.
Alberta is the energy-leading province in Canada due to its leadership in the oil and gas industry and a fast-growing economy. It has a low cost of living compared to other provinces in Canada, but if you are planning to move to Alberta, it’s important to be aware of the average cost of electricity, gas, internet, cable and other utilities.
Are you moving to Alberta soon? Check out 11 things to know when moving to Alberta.
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Easily compare multiple quotes
Guided through a checklist
Get up to speed on the new deals
Update your address in a few clicks
Become a trusted vendor in your service area
MovingWaldo is a one-stop-shop that simplifies tackling moving tasks
What is MovingWaldo?
We guide millions of families through each step of their moving process, helping them save time and money, and making sure nothing gets left behind.
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