Questions about high energy bills

We've taken your calls, heard your questions, and put together a list with steps you can take to help you determine why your bill may have changed, some common reasons, and some useful tips.

Main causes of a higher bill

When you are wondering why your bill amount may have changed, check the details of new charges section found on page 2 of your bill. Following are the first four items to review if you receive a higher than usual bill.

Services included	Reviewing the services on your bill can help determine where your focus needs to be. Is one service such as power causing an increase, or are there increases in other services, such as water, causing the bill to increase overall? For customers also receiving Water, Waste and Drainage charges on their bill, electricity charges usually form 15% to 25% of the customer's total bill.
Billing period	Billing periods are typically between 26-35 days. If the billing period on the bill is for a longer period of time, the charges for consumption could be higher to reflect the number of days in the billing period.
Your consumption	Compare the current consumption with previous months or years to help determine if there are seasonal changes causing increases year over year or during periods with similar conditions (i.e. extreme weather).
Rates	If the billing period and consumption are similar to previous months, compare the rates from previous months. If you are on the Regulated Rate Option, an increase in rates may be the main reason for the increase. Learn how distribution and transmission rates are set.

Earlier this year, the Government of Alberta announced they would make changes to the Regulated Rate Option (RRO). Effective January 1, 2025 the Regulated Rate Option will change to the Rate of Last Resort. As a regulated electricity provider, EPCOR will provide the Rate of Last Resort in alignment with the Government of Alberta’s new legislation. Learn more about the Rate of Last Resort.

Other common causes of a higher than usual bill

Overlaps in billing	When you move you may be billing for two locations at the same time due to an overlap in possession date. For example, if you remain as the owner of home A until June 30, but take possession of home B on June 15, you’d have an overlap for 15 days, which could lead to a higher bill for that period.
Timing of your payment	If you’ve made a payment to your account after the due date it may not be reflected on the following bill. If the payment is processed after the next bill is printed that payment will not be reflected in your current amount owing.
Deposits	Deposits are automatically assessed at the time of starting services or when you move services. We may require a deposit or increase an existing deposit as per our terms and conditions.
Delivery charge vs electricity charges	The Energy Charge only forms 40% to 50% of an average customer's energy costs. The balance of your electricity bill is the cost to deliver electricity to your home. This cost is applicable whether you are on the Rate of Last Resort or a competitive contract and depends on how much electricity you consume.

Tips to determine high consumption on your bill

Compare the current consumption with previous months or years to help determine if there are seasonal changes that are causing increases year over year or during periods with similar conditions (i.e. extreme weather).
Break your usage down to daily average (usage divided by the number of days in billing period). This can help you compare your historical daily average.
Record your daily meter readings to see how the most recent consumption compares to the high consumption period.

Understand your consumption

Ask yourself these questions to help you identify why your consumption may have changed.

Are there any additional people living in your home?
Do you have any new appliances or have your usage habits changed during the billing period outlined on your bill?
Have you been doing any renovations, construction, or improvements requiring power tools or other sources of electricity?
During seasonal periods, did you have any extra heating (i.e. space heater), plugged cars in overnight, have heated flooring, or heated driveways? During hot periods have you used any extra air conditioning or fans?
Were you away and was someone taking care of your home or pets in your absence? Was something left on during this time?

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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).