Estimate your Alberta power and gas costs when you have no bill

The Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) lists typical use as six hundred kilowatt-hours of power and ten gigajoules of gas monthly. A bill has two parts: the energy you use, and delivery charges and fees that every home pays. Your home may use less or more, so start with the UCA ranges before your first bill arrives.

Home size, heating and people shape energy use

Home size, shared walls and how many people live there shape power and gas use, says the UCA. Heating fuel, a heated garage, extra appliances and older windows also shape your home’s use. The UCA tool helps you choose a usage type that fits your home.

• Home size and shared walls: the UCA lists “Properties with shared walls” and “Small apartment, basement suite, or micro-suite”.
• Heat and appliances: the tool lists furnaces, boilers and electric heaters, alongside laundry and kitchen appliances.
• People: the UCA lists “Multiple occupants”. Its FAQ also names medical equipment as a factor.
• Extras: the tool lists “Heated garage”, “Electric or hybrid vehicles” and “Hot tub, sauna, and/or heated pool”. See EV charging costs and appliance running costs.
• Insulation: the tool lists “Less energy efficient properties with older insulation or windows”.

The UCA FAQ says gas use is higher in winter. Power use is higher in both winter and summer. The guide to gigajoules explains the gas unit.

A worked month on default rates

BillRobin’s worked month splits the estimated bill into the part a plan changes and the delivery charges every home pays. The example uses dated default rates for power and gas. Both home sizes include fees and tax, so you can see how energy use affects the full monthly total.

BillRobin builds estimated monthly bills from dated default rates and delivery charges. See the worked bills by town and their sources.

A fixed plan prices the energy part differently. Delivery charges still apply, and some rise with use. The part every home pays means charges outside the plan comparison, not a flat monthly amount.

The UCA says the default gas rate changes monthly. It lists the electricity default as stable through December 2026. Revisit the electricity estimate at the new year. These examples do not predict future rates.

Usage ranges for a home without past bills

The UCA groups home use into ranges to help when you have no past bills. Choose a range based on your home, heating and people. The UCA says the bracket “will not exactly match” bills. Treat the range as a starting point, then compare it with your first bills.

The ranges overlap. Match the UCA’s home considerations rather than choosing by size alone. For a bounded range, its middle can be a rough starting point. The low and high types have open ends, so use the tool’s guidance rather than inventing a midpoint.

Use the UCA tool for a gas estimate based on your usage type.

An estimate before the first bill arrives

The UCA Cost Comparison Tool can estimate costs without a bill when you select a usage type. Read its home considerations and choose the type that fits. BillRobin’s check starts from your first bill. Until that bill arrives, use the UCA tool and treat its figures as estimates.

Start with the UCA Cost Comparison Tool. For a town’s worked figure, see monthly power and gas examples by town.

A closer comparison with your first real bills

BillRobin’s check uses the bills from your new home once they arrive. A first bill can cover fewer or more days than a full month. Check its service dates before comparing totals. Keep power and gas bills together so the comparison reflects both fuels at the same address.

Use the moving utilities checklist for account dates and setup steps. Our electricity bill guide explains the lines on your first bill.

For other services, see our water and waste billing guide. If you rent or own a condo, check who holds each utility account.

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.