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USAAre You a First-Time Utility Customer in Alberta?
Whether you're new to Alberta or moving into a new house or apartment for the first time, you'll need to set up your home utilities before moving day arrives. Here's everything you need to know about setting up electricity and natural gas for the first time, choosing your energy provider, and finding a rate option that best suits your needs!
Select a category to find the information you need:
What is the Difference Between Competitive Retailers and Regulated Rate Option (RRO)?
Depending on where you live in Alberta, you typically have two options when buying electricity and natural gas - the Regulated Rate Option (RRO) or sign up with a retail energy provider like Direct Energy.
Direct Energy
Competitive retail rates (or deregulated rates) are the current electricity and natural gas prices offered by retail energy providers and give you the option to choose the energy plan that's best for you.
Direct Energy Regulated Services
Regulated rates are the default option for anyone who has yet to select a retailer or prefers a month-to-month rate without a contract. The RRO rate can fluctuate from month to month, depending on market conditions.
Our innovative energy options include Fixed Price Stability, Cashback Rewards & the ability to bundle your Natural Gas & Electricity in one bill.
Plan Features:
Flexible Term Options (1-5 Years)
Fixed Price Stability & Winter Price Protection
100% Green Energy
No Enrollment Fees & No Early Exit Fees
Incentives and Rewards:
Cashback Plus (up to $250 in Rewards)
Google Nest Hub ($129.99 value)
Special Offers and Contests
Billing:
Pay your bill with a Credit card (American Express, Visa or Mastercard) Debit, Cheque or Bank
Payment Plans to help manage your monthly budget
Natural Gas and Electricity combined on 1 bill
Direct Energy Regulated Services provides the Regulated Rate Option (RRO) for Natural Gas and Electricity for your home or business.
Plan Features:
Natural Gas and/or Electricity for your home or business in select territories
Rates and service terms approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission
Market-based monthly rates
No Enrollment Fees & No Early Exit Fees
Incentives and Rewards:
Services and programs for landlords
Special Contests
Billing:
Pay your bill with a Credit Card (American Express, Visa or Mastercard) Debit, Cheque or Bank
Payment Plans to help manage your monthly budget
Selecting this option will redirect you to www.DirectEnergyRegulatedServices.com
Customers are free to purchase natural gas services or electricity services from a retailer of their choice.
For a list of retailers, visit ucahelps.alberta.ca or call 310-4822 (toll free in Alberta).
What to Consider When Shopping for Energy Plans
Quick Tips: What to Do Before and After You Move
Before You Move
If this is your first time setting up electricity or natural gas in Alberta, here are some quick tips:
Contact your chosen energy provider. If you're new to the area or a first-time utility customer, contact the energy provider a month prior (or at least two weeks) to your move to allow time for your services to be turned on by your move-in date. If you are moving to a new residence now and require utilities to be set up immediately, you will most likely have to start with the Regulated Rate Option (RRO) in your area since regulated providers can have your services turned on within 1-5 days.
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Be prepared to provide information to set up service. New customers must provide their full name and contact information (phone number and email), service address, and desired service start date.
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Are you renting? Confirm with your landlord or apartment management company what utility services are included with your rent if you're a tenant. Knowing which services you'll be responsible for setting up is helpful and will save you time.
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Plan for additional fees. The distribution company for your area may request a deposit or charge a one-time fee for connection or disconnection. Direct Energy doesn't charge enrollment fees for electricity and natural gas services.
Confirm your services. Shortly before your move, call your energy provider again to confirm that your utilities will be transferred to your new address and confirm if you need any appointments to turn on service.
After You Move
Here's what you should know after you arrive at your new residence
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Make sure your services are on. If possible, check to see if your utilities are on before you settle in and start unpacking. Call your provider right away if your services are not turned on to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Manage your account online. If you haven't already, sign up on your energy provider's website to manage your account online. Most account management portals allow you to set up automatic payments, get important notices, renew your plan and more.
How Do I Sign Up For Gas and Electricity in Alberta?
Enrolling for service with Direct Energy is simple, and you can do it over the phone or via the web, depending upon your location in our service area. There will be no service interruptions, no hassles and you'll receive the same monthly bill as always from your local utility company.
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Shop for Your Perfect Plan
Compare plans to find one that matches your needs. We offer fixed and variable rate plans that allow you to bundle your electricity and natural gas on one bill. You also have the option to add a percentage of Green energy to the energy bundle or electricity plan of your choice.
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Complete Your Order
Complete the sign-up process online in less than 10 minutes or call us. Be prepared to provide your contact information, service address, and desired service start date. That's it!
If you're an existing Direct Energy customer and moving within Alberta?
We make it easy for you to transfer your account to your new home.
Learn More
Glossary of Terms
Deregulation
Deregulation opened energy markets to competition and created choices for consumers. Since Alberta has a deregulated market, customers can either purchase energy from the regulated service provider in their area (e.g., Direct Energy Regulated Services) or shop available competitive retailers (e.g., Direct Energy) to find the best fit for their household.
Distribution Company
The distribution company is responsible for transmitting, connecting and disconnecting electricity and natural gas to your home and for reading and maintaining the meters on your home. Transmission and distribution companies also maintain the power lines, pipelines and other equipment used to distribute energy.
Energy Used (kWh/GJ)
- kWh - The energy used represents the kilowatt hours of electricity customers consume in the billing period. This can be either an actual amount or an estimate. Electricity rates will appear as cents per kWh.
- GJ - The energy used represents the gigajoules of natural gas customers consume in the billing period. This can either be an actual amount or an estimate. Natural gas rates will appear as $ per GJ.
Meter Number
This is the number attached to the meter installed on your premise. This number is unique to each meter assigned.
Administration Fee (Fixed)
This fee covers the costs related to billing customers for electricity and natural gas and providing customer service.
Distribution Charge (Fixed/Variable)
This charge recovers the cost of the lower voltage lines that carry electricity from the transformers to the customer's meter. All operating costs and revenue for distribution and transmission companies are recovered through the delivery charges.
Delivery Charges (Fixed/Variable)
All operating costs and revenue for your Natural Gas Distributor, such as ATCO Gas, are recovered through the delivery charges. The fixed charge is a flat daily charge to recover a portion of the total delivery charges. The variable charge covers the remainder of the total delivery charges. The variable charge is based on natural gas consumption for the billing period.
Local Access Fee (LAF) or Municipal Franchise Fee
The LAF is a surcharge levied by the customer's municipality through the distributor. The Alberta Utilities Commission does not approve it.
Rate Rider(s)
This item reflects temporary changes to a customer's bill approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. It may be a credit or a debit.
Federal Carbon Tax
The Federal Carbon Tax is part of the federal government's carbon pollution pricing system. It applies to fuels that emit greenhouse gases, including natural gas, when combusted. It took effect in Alberta on January 1, 2020 and was designed to increase every April 1 thereafter until 2030.
Helpful Tips for Moving Within Canada
Are you prepared for your move?
Besides signing up for an energy plan, there are many other things to consider when planning a move, and we want to help! We've put together a quick list of tips to make your transition easier.
