Start with the company that bills you. Ask for a fix and keep a dated note. If it is not fixed, the Utilities Consumer Advocate can work with the company through mediation. The Alberta Utilities Commission looks at breaches of its rules. It does not act as your advocate.
Who do I call first?
Call the company on the bill. Tell it what is wrong and what you want done. If that fails, call the Utilities Consumer Advocate. Use this table to find the right door.
| Problem | First call | If not fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong or estimated bill | Your retailer, with a photo of your meter | Utilities Consumer Advocate |
| Billed twice, or billed after moving | Your retailer, with your move date and any bill of sale or lease | Utilities Consumer Advocate |
| A plan or contract you did not agree to | Your retailer, asking for the contract and call record | Utilities Consumer Advocate |
| Disconnection notice | Your retailer, before the date on the notice (see our help paying utility bills guide) | Utilities Consumer Advocate |
| Outage, meter or connection | Your delivery company | Utilities Consumer Advocate |
| A rule broken by a regulated company | The company, then the Utilities Consumer Advocate | Alberta Utilities Commission |
| Door-to-door or phone sales conduct | Service Alberta | Utilities Consumer Advocate, for the contract itself |
The Alberta Utilities Commission sets the order. Contact your utility provider first, then the Utilities Consumer Advocate, then the Alberta Utilities Commission with its complaint form if the concern is still not resolved. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
How do I make a complaint that gets fixed?
Have these ready before you call:
- Your account number and the site ID on the bill.
- The bill dates and the amount in dispute.
- Your contract or plan terms, if you have them.
- For a move, the date you left and a document that shows it.
Say clearly what you want: a corrected bill, a refund, a closed account or a copy of the contract. Then keep a dated record. Write down the name of each person, the date and what they said. Keep records of utility payments and correspondence. If you have given documents to support a billing concern and the issue remains unresolved, contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
Our high utility bill guide helps you check a bill before you call.
What is the Utilities Consumer Advocate, and what does it do?
The Utilities Consumer Advocate is an office of the Government of Alberta, part of the Ministry of Affordability and Utilities. It was established in 2003 and helps electricity, natural gas and water consumers through advocacy, mediation and education. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
The Utilities Consumer Advocate works with consumers to investigate and attempt to resolve their concerns through mediation with utility companies, including retailers and distributors. (read 15 October 2026) [source] When you have already tried to settle a problem with your utility company, the Utilities Consumer Advocate can investigate and try to resolve it through mediation. (read 5 October 2026) [source]
The Utilities Consumer Advocate’s pages do not state a time limit for mediation. Ask the mediation officer how long your case is likely to take. A mediation is resolved when all the requested information from the outside agency has been received and given to the consumer. Not all mediation calls are complaints against the company. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
How to reach it: 310-4822 in Alberta or 1-888-644-6608 from outside Alberta, Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; email ucahelps@gov.ab.ca. (read 5 October 2026) [source]
What does the Alberta Utilities Commission do?
The Alberta Utilities Commission is not a consumer advocate. Its staff check that regulated companies follow their approved rates, terms and conditions of service and applicable legislation. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
Commission staff cannot make formal decisions on whether a company complied, and cannot compel a utility to disregard approved rates, terms and conditions of service or legislation. Only appointed Commission members decide. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
If you file a complaint, give the Commission this: The utility provider and your account number, the service address and site ID, your contact information, the details of your concern in order, the outcome you want and the provider’s response. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
Other doors: The Alberta Utilities Commission refers complaints about competitive retailers’ billing practices and customer service to the Utilities Consumer Advocate. (read 15 October 2026) [source] The Market Surveillance Administrator investigates complaints about unfair price setting and energy market manipulation. These are market matters, not a single household’s bill. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
For marketing conduct, Discriminatory, unethical or unlawful marketing of energy contracts goes to Service Alberta at 1-877-427-4088, as the Alberta Utilities Commission states. (read 15 October 2026) [source] The Consumer Protection Act allows you to cancel a door-to-door sale within 10 days of receiving your copy of the signed contract, with no reason needed. Service Alberta takes complaints at 1-877-427-4088. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
What do Albertans complain about most?
The Utilities Consumer Advocate publishes a monthly report of the contacts it receives. These are the August 2026 figures across regulated and competitive providers. Many contacts are questions, not complaints, and the report does not adjust for the size of each company.
- Total: 2,524 issues in total, of which 97 became mediations and 2,427 were advice and information. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
- Customer service: 1,036 issues, the largest category, of which 2 became mediations. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
- Education: 993 issues, from consumers asking for retailer lists or about the industry, of which 9 became mediations. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
- Billing: 204 issues, of which 48 became mediations. This is the largest category of mediations. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
- Disconnection: 146 issues, of which 21 became mediations. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
- Contracts: 83 issues, of which 10 became mediations. (read 15 October 2026) [source]
Billing is the biggest source of mediations. The Utilities Consumer Advocate’s own examples include a double bill caused by a neighbour’s meter, a payment applied to an old account, and a bill for a home sold a year earlier. See our switching providers guide if your problem is a plan you want to leave.
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.
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.
Questions people ask
Is the Utilities Consumer Advocate legitimate?
Yes. It is an office of the Government of Alberta, part of the Ministry of Affordability and Utilities. It was set up in 2003 to help electricity, natural gas and water customers. You can check this on its own government web page before you call.
Who do I call first about a wrong bill?
Call the company that sends you the bill. Ask for a fix and write down the name of the person, the date and what was said. If a company has made a billing or service error, it will often resolve it without you needing to go further. If yours is not, the next call is the Utilities Consumer Advocate.
Can the Alberta Utilities Commission fix my bill?
Its staff check whether a regulated company followed its approved rates, terms and the law. They are not a consumer advocate and cannot make formal findings. Try the company and the Utilities Consumer Advocate first, then use the Commission’s complaint form.
What if a salesperson signed me up without my agreement?
Tell the retailer you did not agree and ask for the contract and call record. If it is not settled, call the Utilities Consumer Advocate. Complaints about unlawful or unethical marketing of energy contracts go to Service Alberta, which handles those conduct matters.
Sources
Written by the BillRobin team. Updated .
Show the 11 sources
- Alberta Utilities Commission: Billing issues and concerns
- Alberta Utilities Commission: Energy market complaints
- Alberta Utilities Commission: Questions about your utility bill
- Government of Alberta: Consumer Bill of Rights
- Government of Alberta: Explore gas and electricity options
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Contact Us
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Mediation
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Mediation Summary Reports
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Contact Us
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Mediation Summary Report, August 2026
- Utilities Consumer Advocate: Who We Are
https://billrobin.com/ca/en/alberta/energy/energy-complaints?utm_medium=share&utm_source=page
Are you on the right energy plan?
Send your bills as PDFs. We compare the plans available at your address, and you decide. Free during our launch.
Check my bills, free- We never phone you
- We never switch your plan. You decide.