Basement suite utilities in Alberta: splitting power and gas, and second meters

A suite can share the house meters. There is no official formula. The UCA says to agree who pays in the lease. Calgary allows separate electric meters, with labour and materials at the customer’s cost. In ENMAX’s area, more than one extra self-contained unit on a shared meter triggers a commercial rate.

How do people split one power and gas bill?

People split one power and gas bill by a set amount, floor area, head count or measured use. Service Alberta describes shares by unit count or floor area. There is no official formula. Put the split in the lease and let both sides see the bills.

Some landlords divide costs by the number of units or the floor area of each rental unit. (read 30 October 2026) [source] Sub-meters help divide costs by each tenant’s own use. Billing that use must be a term in the tenancy agreement. (read 30 October 2026) [source] Tenants are often charged an administrative fee plus their utility cost. Fees can vary and may rise. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

A sub-meter sits behind the utility’s meter. It is different from a separate utility meter and account.

Why do winter gas bills make a fixed split go wrong?

Winter gas bills can make a fixed split fall short when the house needs more heat. A fixed cash amount stays the same as use rises. The UCA says both sides must agree to change a fixed payment term. Look at a full year of bills before you set that amount.

Can a basement suite have its own electricity meter?

A basement suite can have its own electricity meter in Calgary, says the City of Calgary. ENMAX sets the rate rules there. EPCOR has service and wiring rules in Edmonton. Ask the local distributor to check the site before work starts. A separate meter may need new wiring or a new service.

Calgary permits multiple meters, but each clearly defined area and address may have only one. Use the exact suite address for the hookup.

Multiple meters are permitted for homes with basement suites. Only one meter may serve each clearly defined area and address. (read 30 October 2026) [source] Utility hookups require the exact suite address. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

ENMAX allows the main home and one extra living unit on a residential meter. A second extra self-contained unit triggers a commercial rate unless each unit has its own meter.

For new construction in R2 or higher density areas, ENMAX calls for separate suite meters or commercial billing. This is an ENMAX rule, not a province-wide suite rule.

One additional living unit may share a residential meter. More than one additional self-contained unit triggers a commercial rate unless each unit has a separate meter. (read 30 October 2026) [source] New construction in R2 or higher density areas needs a separate meter for each suite, or services may be billed at the commercial rate. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

EPCOR serves each unit in a new multiple dwelling as a separate point of service unless it agrees otherwise. Confirm how this applies to your project.

Multi-meter sockets supply at most four consumer power services. Multi-metering is not permitted where an individual service cable already exists. (read 30 October 2026) [source] Each unit in a new multiple dwelling has a separate point of service unless EPCOR agrees otherwise. (read 30 October 2026) [source] For requested equipment beyond basic service, the customer bears the cost of providing and installing the metering equipment and ongoing operating costs. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

FortisAlberta says installation takes up to three business days after the billing company sends the order. That is the meter install step, not a timeline for all building and service work.

The residential rate applies to individually metered single-family living spaces. After the billing company sends an install order, meter installation takes up to three business days. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

What does a second gas meter involve?

ATCO Gas prices a second gas meter on request. ATCO Gas lists service changes at contract price. Its schedule has no fee line for adding a meter. Ask what pipe work, permits and heating changes your suite would need before you agree to the work.

Service alterations, relocations and replacement are at contract price. The schedule has no separate fee line for adding a meter. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

For a sense of scale only, the following are new urban service-line charges. They are not second-meter prices or quotes for a suite conversion.

• ATCO Gas North: $1,047 summer or $1,350 winter for a new urban service line, 15.9 or 26 mm diameter, up to 15 metres (read 30 October 2026) [source].
• ATCO Gas South: $756 summer or $984 winter for a new urban service line, 15.9 or 26 mm diameter, up to 15 metres (read 30 October 2026) [source].

These are the schedule’s charges effective January 2026. Extra length and other work can add costs. Edmonton’s secondary-suite gas permit fee is $120 plus a $4.80 safety codes fee (read 30 October 2026) [source]. A permit fee does not pay for the meter or the work.

What should the lease say?

The lease should say who pays each bill, says the UCA. Name who holds each account too. Write down the split, the charges it covers and how to handle winter. Set a date to share bills and a move-out reading. Both sides should be able to check the same figures.

• Name the account holder for power and for gas.
• State the fixed amount or share, and whether it covers delivery, fees and tax.
• Say how shared areas, empty rooms and changes in head count affect the split.
• Agree how to share copies of bills and when payment is due.
• Plan for winter costs and agree how any change will be made.
• Record the move-out date and reading, or the agreed method for a partial month.

Shared homes have different utility setups. The lease should clearly state who pays. A fixed payment term needs both parties to agree to a change. (read 30 October 2026) [source] Only customers with master utility meters can choose their retailer; a sub-meter tenant cannot choose separately. (read 30 October 2026) [source]

Separate meters can make use clearer, but ask about added account and delivery charges too. Compare the full ongoing cost with the cost of the work.

A bill check, free during our launch

BillRobin is an Alberta service. We compare every plan we can confirm for your home, show them in order of estimated cost, and you decide. We never switch your plan, never phone you and never ask for banking details or a social insurance number.

The bill check reads the house’s actual power and gas use. Use those figures to work out a written share of each bill.

Send us your gas and electricity bills as PDFs. No PDF? Screenshots or a photo work too. We compare the plans at your address, free during our launch period.