Two companies are on one bill
Your retailer sells you the power. Your distributor owns the wires to your home and charges for delivery. The distributor depends on where you live. Edmonton is served by EPCOR Distribution, Calgary by ENMAX Power, and many towns by FortisAlberta or ATCO Electric.
Check the service address, the billed days and whether the meter reading is actual or estimated. Then read the lines below in order. A kWh, or kilowatt hour, is the unit of electricity you use.
A fictional EPCOR-area bill, line by line
This walk-through is a made-up bill for a home in Edmonton on the default rate. It shows rates we read from the published schedules, not what your bill will total. The rates change, so use the dates shown.
Your plan sets thisSame for every home in your area
- Energy charge Your billed kWh multiplied by the price per kWh. The Rate of Last Resort in Edmonton is 12.01¢ per kWh (1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026) [source]. This is the line you shop. Your plan
- Retailer administration A daily or monthly account fee that some retailers add. Find it in your agreement. On the Rate of Last Resort in Edmonton it is C$0.230 per day (from 1 July 2026) [source]; other retailers set their own. It depends on the retailer. Compare it with the energy price. Your plan
- Fixed delivery A daily charge for the connection, whether or not you use power: C$0.72856 per day (from 1 January 2026) [source]. Same for everyone
- Variable delivery A charge for each kWh you use: 1.783¢ per kWh (from 1 January 2026) [source]. Same for everyone
- Transmission A charge for each kWh for the high-voltage grid: 4.050¢ per kWh (from 1 January 2026) [source]. Same for everyone
- Local access fee The City of Edmonton fee for the wires on its streets: 1.388¢ per kWh (from 1 January 2026) [source]. Same for everyone
- Riders Short adjustments, charge or credit. The balancing pool rider is 0.130¢ per kWh (1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026) [source]. The Rider J true-up is -0.016¢ per kWh (1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026) [source]. The Rider K transmission deferral is 0.103¢ per kWh (from 1 October 2026) [source]. Same for everyone
- GST Tax is added to the taxable lines above. Check the subtotal it is worked on. Same for everyone
- Amount due This period’s charges plus any earlier balance, less payments and credits. Total
Only the first two lines come from the retailer’s plan. Every other line uses rates that are the same for every home in the same area, so switching plans does not change them. The amounts still depend on how much you use. Read why a small home’s bill stays high for what that means when you use little.
FortisAlberta, ENMAX and ATCO Electric differ
The lines are the same everywhere, but the rates are not. The daily delivery charge is C$1.034442 per day (from 1 January 2026) [source] from FortisAlberta, C$0.769463 per day (from 1 January 2026) [source] from ENMAX Power and C$1.4125 per day (from 1 January 2026) [source] from ATCO Electric.
ATCO Electric also lists a fixed service charge of C$0.2698 per day (from 1 January 2026) [source]. The town fee works differently in the FortisAlberta area, as this checked fact says: In the FortisAlberta area, each municipality's franchise fee is a percentage added to the delivery tariff (distribution and transmission charges, not riders) for every home in the municipality. FortisAlberta bills it to your retailer and pays it to the municipality. (from 1 May 2026) [source]
Find your distributor on your bill. If the name is not clear, look up your town fee or ask your retailer which distributor serves you.
Who to call for what
- Your retailer: the amount due, your plan price, your contract and estimated readings.
- Your distributor: the meter, the wires and power outages.
- The Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA): help with a billing dispute that stays unresolved. Use the UCA contact page and keep your bills.
If your gas bill is the bigger worry, read how to read your gas bill.
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Questions people ask
Why does my electricity bill have so many lines?
Your retailer charges for the power. Your local wires company charges separately for delivery. Fees, riders and tax are added on top. Each line has its own rate and its own reason.
Can a new plan lower the delivery charges?
No. Delivery charges are set by regulators for your distributor and apply to every home in the area. A new plan can change the energy price and any retailer fee.
What is the local access fee on my electricity bill?
It is a charge your town sets for the wires on its streets. Your distributor collects it on the bill. A different retailer does not remove it.
What is a rider on my electricity bill?
A rider is a small adjustment to a utility charge. It can be a charge or a credit and it lasts for a stated period. Read the rider name and dates.
Who do I call about a wrong electricity bill?
Start with the retailer named on the bill and ask for a written explanation. Contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate if the problem stays unresolved.
Sources
Written by the BillRobin team. Updated .
Show the 14 sources
- Alberta Utilities Commission: AUC Disposition 31032-D01-2026 (September 11, 2026), Appendix 1 - EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc. Rider K, Transmission Charge Deferral Account True-Up Rider (Short-Term Adjustment, effective October 1, 2026)
- Alberta Utilities Commission: EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc., 2026 Annual Performance-Based Regulation Rate Adjustment, Appendix 4 - 2026 Interim system access service rates (DT - Schedule A, effective January 1, 2026)
- Alberta Utilities Commission: EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc., Appendix 10 - Rider J, SAS True-Up Rider (Interim Adjustment, effective January 1, 2026)
- Alberta Utilities Commission: EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc., Appendix 9 - 2026 Balancing Pool Rider G (Temporary Adjustment, effective January 1, 2026)
- Alberta Utilities Commission: 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)
- Alberta Utilities Commission: FortisAlberta Inc., Appendix 1 - Municipal franchise fee riders (Rates, Options and Riders Schedules, effective May 1, 2026)
- ATCO Electric: rate schedule (AUC)
- ENMAX Power: rate schedule (AUC)
- EPCOR: local access fee change, January 2026
- EPCOR: Rate of Last Resort
- EPCOR: Rate of Last Resort
- EPCOR Distribution & Transmission: rate schedule (AUC)
- FortisAlberta: rate schedule (AUC)
- UCA: Understanding utility bills
https://billrobin.com/ca/en/alberta/energy/read-your-electricity-bill?utm_medium=share&utm_source=page
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