5 ways to combat rising electricity and natural gas rates in Alberta
CBC
Tracy Sorochan's utility bill just keeps climbing.
She and six other people share a five-bedroom duplex in northwest Edmonton, and for a year and a half, they paid about $550 per month for utilities, largely for electricity and natural gas.
In November, their bill jumped to $647, then hit $720 in December.
"We were able to afford everything fine, no problem, but now this extra $200 means we have to cut our groceries short," she told CBC News on Thursday.
"It's very hard because a couple of us just got our jobs back after being laid off."
Like Sorochan, many Albertans are struggling to stomach rising rates and fees for natural gas and electricity.
"Unfortunately, it's a bit of a perfect storm for Alberta residents," said Joel MacDonald, the founder of the energy comparison website energyrates.ca.
He said many factors, including this winter's cold snap, are contributing to the increases.
"When there was a slowdown in oil and gas prices, a lot of companies restricted their activities and that took a fair bit off the grid," he said.
Oil prices have gone back up again and so has demand.
The carbon tax also increased, affecting the price of natural gas.
Some of these things are out of Albertans' control, but there are ways to bring the cost of bills down.
Competitive retailers offer both floating and fixed rates. A few years ago, consumers who opted for floating rates benefited from lower prices, MacDonald said, but now Albertans are entering a period of price uncertainty.
Since demand on the electricity grid is increasing and there are supply constraints linked to the transition from coal to natural gas, he said consumers worried about price jumps should consider switching from floating to fixed-rate contracts.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is forming a working group to tackle what it calls systemic issues in the justice system, but answers or solutions could still be months away.
A woman has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in a 2024 fatal hit and run in Truro, N.S., where the victim was dragged down the street, a case that went unsolved for more than six months.
A stream of people showing up to a brightly lit front porch, each holding up a bottle of wine, spirits, or beer.
Sona Lakhoyan Olivier has been excluded from Quebec’s Liberal caucus for the duration of an investigation led by the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner, the party announced Thursday.
The head of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association hopes a city plan to crack down on vacant properties leads to a transformation in his community.
Saskatchewan's justice minister is rejecting the latest legislative proposal from the NDP Opposition, one that the NDP says is a necessary check on government power.
The provincial government is proposing sweeping changes to citizen-led referendum questions that could put a stop to an active court case about whether it’s constitutional to ask Albertans if they agree with separating from Canada.
A proposal for a hydrogen-powered passenger rail connecting Calgary and Banff has been submitted to the federal government in the hopes of having it fast-tracked.