Alberta
Albertans don’t have to choose between heating and eating. Here’s how you keep your home warm this winter
Alberta’s Winter Rules for utilities protect vulnerable Albertans by helping keep their lights on and homes warm during the cold winter months.
When temperatures drop, Alberta’s Winter Rules for utilities are designed to keep the power and heat on for Albertans during the cold winter months. Ensuring Albertans have access to reliable and affordable energy is a top priority for Alberta’s government.
From Oct. 15 to April 15, electricity and natural gas services in Alberta cannot be fully disconnected by retailers. This also applies to any time during the year when the forecast for the next 24 hours indicates temperatures below zero degrees.
“During Alberta’s harsh winters, no one should be forced to choose between heating and eating. We’re keeping the lights on for the most vulnerable and taking action to lower power bills for all Albertans. I encourage anyone having difficulties with their utility bill to contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate and learn what options are available.”
Under the Winter Utilities Reconnection program, customers with disconnected utilities are contacted to help get them reconnected before the cold weather hits. This is led by the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA), in partnership with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), utility retailers and distributors and other government agencies. Albertans who are having difficulty with paying their utility bills, communicating with their retailer or making manageable payment arrangements should contact the UCA.
“The Winter Utilities Reconnection Program is an important protection for customers struggling with utility bills. UCA Mediation Staff are available to help customers get energy utilities reconnected and stay safe during winter. They can be reached at 310-4822.”
Alberta’s government is working tirelessly to lower utility bills and protect ratepayers, ensuring Albertans keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their bank accounts. With more still to come, Alberta’s government has already taken action by stabilizing local access fees through new legislation, introducing regulations to prevent power price spikes and investing in programs to help municipalities and rural Albertans manage and lower their energy costs. Additionally, the UCA continues to help consumers better understand and navigate the utility market, and their advocacy has led to Albertans saving more than $3.2 billion over the past two decades.
Affordable electricity options are available
Alberta has a unique competitive electricity market, which gives Albertans the power to choose the best energy provider, plan and payment option to fit their needs. Consumers can purchase their power from more than 50 competitive retailers, with the choice of either fixed or variable rate contracts.
Albertans are encouraged to explore their options and find the competitive rate best-suited to their needs. Last year, tens of thousands of households moved off the Rate of Last Resort to competitive contracts for a more affordable option. Albertans who are looking for help with their utility bills or are experiencing a dispute with their provider should contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate at 310-4822, via email, or through their website.
Related information
- Utilities Consumer Advocate
- Financial Assistance Resources (UCA)
- Alberta Utilities Commission
- Farm fuel and rural utility programs
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From the Canadian Energy Centre
By Will Gibson
Alberta oil sands projects poised to grow on lower costs, strong reserves
As geopolitical uncertainty ripples through global energy markets, a new report says Alberta’s oil sands sector is positioned to grow thanks to its lower costs.
Enverus Intelligence Research’s annual Oil Sands Play Fundamentals forecasts producers will boost output by 400,000 barrels per day (bbls/d) by the end of this decade through expansions of current operations.
“Existing oil sands projects deliver some of the lowest-breakeven oil in North America at WTI prices lower than $50 U.S. dollars,” said Trevor Rix, a director with the Calgary-based research firm, a subsidiary of Enverus which is headquartered in Texas with operations in Europe and Asia.
Alberta’s oil sands currently produce about 3.4 million bbls/d. Individual companies have disclosed combined proven reserves of about 30 billion barrels, or more than 20 years of current production.
A recent sector-wide reserves analysis by McDaniel & Associates found the oil sands holds about 167 billion barrels of reserves, compared to about 20 billion barrels in Texas.
While trade tensions and sustained oil price declines may marginally slow oil sands growth in the short term, most projects have already had significant capital invested and can withstand some volatility.
Cenovus Energy’s Christina Lake oil sands project. Photo courtesy Cenovus Energy
“While it takes a large amount of out-of-pocket capital to start an oil sands operation, they are very cost effective after that initial investment,” said veteran S&P Global analyst Kevin Birn.
“Optimization,” where companies tweak existing operations for more efficient output, has dominated oil sands growth for the past eight years, he said. These efforts have also resulted in lower cost structures.
“That’s largely shielded the oil sands from some of the inflationary costs we’ve seen in other upstream production,” Birn said.
Added pipeline capacity through expansion of the Trans Mountain system and Enbridge’s Mainline have added an incentive to expand production, Rix said.
The increased production will also spur growth in regions of western Canada, including the Montney and Duvernay, which Enverus analysts previously highlighted as increasingly crucial to meet rising worldwide energy demand.
“Increased oil sands production will see demand increase for condensate, which is used as diluent to ship bitumen by pipeline, which has positive implications for growth in drilling in liquids-rich regions such as the Montney and Duvernay,” Rix said.
“If Ottawa had it’s way Albertans would be left to freeze in the dark”
The ineffective federal net-zero electricity regulations will not reduce emissions or benefit Albertans but will increase costs and lead to supply shortages.
The risk of power outages during a hot summer or the depths of harsh winter cold snaps, are not unrealistic outcomes if these regulations are implemented. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator’s analysis, the regulations in question would make Alberta’s electricity system more than 100 times less reliable than the province’s supply adequacy standard. Albertans expect their electricity to remain affordable and reliable, but implementation of these regulations could increase costs by a staggering 35 per cent.
Canada’s constitution is clear. Provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over the development, conservation and management of sites and facilities in the province for the generation and production of electrical energy. That is why Alberta’s government is referring the constitutionality of the federal government’s recent net-zero electricity regulations to the Court of Appeal of Alberta.
“The federal government refused to work collaboratively or listen to Canadians while developing these regulations. The results are ineffective, unachievable and irresponsible, and place Albertans’ livelihoods – and more importantly, lives – at significant risk. Our government will not accept unconstitutional net-zero regulations that leave Albertans vulnerable to blackouts in the middle of summer and winter when they need electricity the most.”
“The introduction of the Clean Electricity Regulations in Alberta by the federal government is another example of dangerous federal overreach. These regulations will create unpredictable power outages in the months when Albertans need reliable energy the most. They will also cause power prices to soar in Alberta, which will hit our vulnerable the hardest.”
Finalized in December 2024, the federal electricity regulations impose strict carbon limits on fossil fuel power, in an attempt to force a net-zero grid, an unachievable target given current technology and infrastructure. The reliance on unproven technologies makes it almost impossible to operate natural gas plants without costly upgrades, threatening investment, grid reliability, and Alberta’s energy security.
“Ottawa’s electricity regulations will leave Albertans in the dark. They aren’t about reducing emissions – they are unconstitutional, ideological activist policies based on standards that can’t be met and technology that doesn’t exist. It will drive away investment and punish businesses, provinces and families for using natural gas for reliable, dispatchable power. We will not put families at risk from safety and affordability impacts – rationing power during the coldest days of the year – and we will continue to stand up for Albertans.”
“Albertans depend on electricity to provide for their families, power their businesses and pursue their dreams. The federal government’s Clean Electricity Regulations threaten both the affordability and reliability of our power grid, and we will not stand by as these regulations put the well-being of Albertans at risk.”
Related information
- Conference Board of Canada socio-economic Impacts of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan – (April 2025)
- Alberta Electric System Operator’s position on Canadian Energy Regulations
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