The administration charge is the retailer’s daily fee for billing and customer care. It differs by plan. Late payment, returned payment and reconnection fees for default rate customers and distributors are set in documents the Alberta Utilities Commission approves.
What is the administration charge?
This fee covers billing costs and customer care. These approved residential figures apply only to each named provider’s default rate customers. Electricity default supply is called the Rate of Last Resort.
Each figure shows its effective period. DERS customer charges below are before the separate Rider C7 credit.
| Company and service | Approved fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| ENMAX Energy: default electricity | C$0.4134 per day (from 1 January 2025) [source] | Residential D100 customers. Approved schedule. |
| EPCOR Energy Alberta: default electricity | C$0.230 per day (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Residential customers in the Edmonton distribution area only. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: default electricity | C$0.775 per day (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Residential E1 customers in the ATCO Electric area. Approved schedule. |
| DERS electricity: Rider C7 credit | C$-0.217 per day (1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026) [source] | Separate credit for the same E1 customers, for the stated period only. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: default gas | C$0.371 per day (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Residential G1 customers in ATCO Gas North. Approved schedule. |
| DERS gas North: Rider C7 credit | C$-0.041 per day (1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026) [source] | Separate credit for the same G1 customers, for the stated period only. Approved schedule. |
Competitive retailers set their own administration charges. That includes ATCO Energy plans, which are separate from ATCO Gas delivery service. The plans directory and our bill check include administration charges.
What happens if I pay late?
A one-time charge and a monthly charge work differently. Distributor penalties apply to accounts that the distributor bills. Check who issued your bill before applying a figure.
| Company and service | Approved fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| EPCOR Energy Alberta | One-time charge equal to 2.5% of the unpaid amount of the bill for the current billing period (from 1 January 2025) [source] | Default electricity customers; current billing period. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: electricity | 1.5% per month of the amount outstanding (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default electricity customers. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: gas North | 1.5% per month of the amount outstanding (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default gas customers in ATCO Gas North. Approved schedule. |
| ATCO Gas | 1% (12.68% per annum) on the amount due; a further 1% on the balance carried forward, including prior penalties, if unpaid by the next monthly billing cycle (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Where ATCO Gas bills the account. Approved schedule. |
| Apex Utilities | 1.5% applied to any unpaid balance from previous bills (18% per annum, compounded monthly) (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Where Apex Utilities bills the account. Approved schedule. |
ENMAX Energy’s default electricity terms, Article 7.5, put the late payment rate in the Price Schedules and on the bill. Check those for your account.
What if a payment bounces?
A returned payment can leave the bill unpaid as well as trigger a fee. Check the bank details and available funds before paying. Ask your retailer whether a returned payment also affects your security deposit.
| Company and service | Approved fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| EPCOR Energy Alberta | $25 for each payment not honoured by the bank or financial institution (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default electricity customers in the Edmonton distribution area. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: electricity | $25.00 (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default electricity customers; dishonoured cheque. Approved schedule. |
| Direct Energy Regulated Services: gas North | $25.00 (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default gas North customers; dishonored cheque. Approved schedule. |
| ATCO Gas | $35 (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Where ATCO Gas bills the account; dishonoured cheque. Approved schedule. |
| Apex Utilities | $23 each time (NSF cheque, etc.) (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Where Apex Utilities bills the account; dishonoured payment. Approved schedule. |
What does reconnection cost?
Your distributor restores the physical service. The charge depends on why service stopped and the work needed. FortisAlberta charges its listed fees to the retailer unless stated otherwise. The retailer may pass them on; ask what will appear on your household bill.
| Company and service | Approved fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| ATCO Gas | $141, typically within 1-3 business days (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Residential reinstatement at standard timing. Approved schedule. |
| ATCO Gas: urgent service | $328 before 8am of the next business day, subject to availability (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Residential reinstatement, subject to availability. Approved schedule. |
| Apex Utilities | $112 (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Residential reconnection where the service rules require the fee. Approved schedule. |
| FortisAlberta | $139.00 reconnection fee (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Normal business hours; charged to the retailer. Approved schedule. |
| FortisAlberta: conditional extra | $97.00 extra if reconnected less than 12 months after a customer-requested disconnection and appropriate Idle Service Charges were not paid while off (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Added to the standard fee only when both conditions apply. Approved schedule. |
| FortisAlberta: after hours | $303.00 (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Outside normal business hours; charged to the retailer. Approved schedule. |
| ENMAX Power: temporary shutoff | No Charge (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Customer-requested temporary de-energization. Approved schedule. |
| ENMAX Power: restoration after temporary shutoff | $166.00 per hour (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Customer-requested restoration after temporary de-energization. Approved schedule. |
| ENMAX Power: restoration after non-payment | $58.00 per request (from 1 January 2026) [source] | Charged to the requesting supplier or retailer; may be passed on. Approved schedule. |
| EPCOR Distribution: shutoff | No Charge (from 1 January 2026) [source] | De-energization only. Ask for a reconnection quote. Approved schedule. |
| EPCOR Energy Alberta: retailer fee | $41.00 (from 1 July 2026) [source] | Default electricity customers in Edmonton after cut-off for non-payment; separate from distributor work. Approved schedule. |
EPCOR Energy Alberta is the default retailer. EPCOR Distribution is the wires company. A charge for turning service off does not establish the price of turning it back on.
Ask for the total and timing before booking reconnection. Read the winter disconnection rules if you face a shutoff.
Should I turn my gas off for the summer?
Ask your retailer what it will charge while gas is off. Ask whether your daily fixed charge continues, and compare the ongoing charges with the total cost of restoring service before deciding.
ATCO Gas lists a reinstatement charge. Its terms say facilities downstream of the meter are subject to retest after more than six months off.
Apex’s rules require a reconnection fee after a shutoff requested by you or your retailer, a shutoff for breaking its rules, or when service was already off on application. They exempt temporary shutoffs for other reasons from that fee. Other restoration work can still cost extra. Confirm which condition applies to your home.
How do I avoid these fees?
Automatic payment can help prevent a missed due date, provided the account has enough funds. Check each bill and allow time for payments to arrive. If money is tight, ask for a payment arrangement before the due date and confirm how late charges will apply.
The administration charge is part of the plan. Check it alongside the energy price and delivery charges. For payment support, see help paying utility bills. For exit terms, read cancelling an energy contract and switching providers.
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Questions people ask
What is the electricity administration fee for?
It pays the retailer for billing and customer care. Competitive plans set their own charge. The administration table shows approved daily charges for the named default rate customers only. Check your plan and billing period before using a figure from that table.
Do ENMAX, EPCOR and ATCO Energy have the same fees?
Each competitive plan sets its own administration charge. The default rate charges in the tables apply only to the named default suppliers and customer groups. ATCO Energy is a retailer; ATCO Gas is a distributor. Ask which company and which tariff a fee on your bill belongs to.
What should I do if I cannot pay on time?
Call your retailer before the due date and ask about a payment arrangement. The late payment table keeps each approved charge in its stated form, since a monthly charge differs from a one-time charge. Ask how an arrangement affects late fees and when your payment must reach the account.
Should I disconnect gas while my home is empty?
Ask your retailer what charges will continue while the gas is off and what restoring service will involve. The reconnection table lists tariff charges and their conditions. A long shutoff can also mean a retest. Ask for the total cost of restoring service before deciding whether to disconnect.
Sources
Written by the BillRobin team. Updated .
Show the 13 sources
- ENMAX Energy default electricity terms, Article 7.5
- ENMAX Energy Corporation, Regulated Rate Tariff: 2025 Non-Energy Interim Rates, Appendix 2 - 2025 interim rate schedule (Rate Schedule applicable to Regulated Rate Tariff Customers within the City of Calgary)
- Apex Utilities natural gas utility service rules
- Apex Utilities special charges schedule, Decision 30302-D01-2025
- ATCO Gas customer terms, Article 12
- ATCO Gas non-discretionary charges, Decision 30301-D01-2025
- Direct Energy Regulated Services, 2026 Final Rate Schedules for DRT Service in ATCO Gas North Service Territory, effective July 1, 2026
- Direct Energy Regulated Services, 2026 Final Rate Schedules for Electricity RRT Service, effective July 1, 2026
- ENMAX Power fee schedule, Decision 30299-D01-2025
- EPCOR Distribution interim access service tariff, Table 2, Decision 30298-D01-2025
- EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc., Price Schedule Applicable to Regulated Rate Tariff Customers within the City of Edmonton (EEA Regulated Rate Tariff, EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc.), effective July 1, 2026 (Appendix 3 - EDTI price schedule July 1, 2026, 2025-2027 Non-Energy Regulated Rate Tariff Compliance Filing)
- EPCOR Energy Alberta terms, Article 8.5, Decision 30805-D01-2026
- FortisAlberta fee schedule, Decision 30274-D01-2025
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