As the regulated rate soars, Calgarians pay higher access fees than other Albertans
CBC
The skyrocketing price of Alberta's regulated rate option means Calgarians are paying higher local access fees on their electricity bills than anyone else in the province.
That's according to some energy experts, who are calling on the City of Calgary to change its methodology for how it charges those access fees to Calgarians.
That's because Calgary is the only municipality in Alberta that calculates that fee by factoring in the regulated rate option (RRO) — which reached its highest level in Alberta's history this month, at 31.8 cents per kilowatt hour in Calgary.
"With RRO prices going up, the local access fee that customers in Calgary pay is also increasing significantly as well," said Thomas Glenwright, senior director of Energy Associates International.
"For customers who are on the RRO … the local access fee is adding insult to injury."
The local access fee works in lieu of a property tax to run power equipment through the city.
Each municipality chooses how to charge the fee.
The City of Calgary, through Enmax and other retailers, charges 11.11 per cent of the monthly RRO per kilowatt hour consumed, plus 11.11 per cent of transmission and distribution costs for the access fee.
Many other jurisdictions typically charge 10 to 15 per cent of transmission and distribution charges for their access fees. Edmonton currently charges 1.05 cents per kilowatt hour consumed.
Glenwright says that structure difference means Calgary homeowners are paying more than 250 per cent more for local access fees than homeowners in Edmonton.
Meanwhile, he says Calgary's annual local access fees have doubled since 2018.
Like many Calgarians, Gordon McKercher is feeling the squeeze.
His latest Enmax bill was $151. Only $54 was for energy used — the rest was add-on fees, including a $19 local access fee.
"65 to 75 per cent of my bill is user fees," said McKercher, who's on a five-year fixed rate.
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