Rent with utilities included in Alberta

Comparing rent with utilities included

Comparing rent with utilities included starts with the lease and your power and gas use. The Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) lists three set-ups. You may pay the energy company or sub-metering company, pay some or all of the cost to your landlord, or your landlord may pay the energy company. Ask for both rents before you compare the costs.

The UCA says no cost for those utilities is part of monthly rent. That holds when you set up the account in your name per the lease agreement.

What utilities included can cover

Utilities included can cover the bills named in your lease, says the Government of Alberta. The UCA names electricity, natural gas and water in its tenant guide. The phrase alone does not tell you which bills are covered. Get each service and who pays for it in writing before signing.

The Government of Alberta says a master meter measures power and gas for a whole apartment building. A landlord may include those costs in rent. It does not measure each unit’s use.

The Government of Alberta says a sub-meter measures the natural gas and electricity for a rental unit.

Ask for anything else, such as internet, in writing. The UCA says tenants or the landlord may pay common area costs. Ask who pays yours.

Power and gas costs in a small home

Small-home power and gas costs depend on use, local charges and the month’s rates. The UCA says rental homes have different set-ups. Our small home is a worked example, not a survey of apartments.

Questions about the cost of included rent

Service Alberta says rent can rise under the Residential Tenancies Act to cover higher utility costs. The Government of Alberta says sub-meters shift energy price changes from the landlord to the tenant. Service Alberta’s handbook gives general rules; your lease sets which costs your rent covers.

• Would your own power and gas bills be above or below the part of rent that covers them?
• What is the rent if you pay the utilities yourself?
• Is there a limit on use?
• Is there an extra charge for heavy use?
• What happens to rent when energy prices rise?
• With a sub-meter, who carries a price change?

Alberta’s rules for included utilities

Alberta’s rules for included utilities start with the agreement, says Service Alberta. For a new tenancy, rent can include any agreed services. A landlord cannot require separate utility payments after the tenancy starts if the lease includes them in rent. Both sides can agree to take utilities out of rent.

The Government of Alberta says a month-to-month renter must consent before a sub-meter is introduced. For a fixed term, it can start when the lease ends and a new lease begins. A sub-meter tenant cannot choose an energy company.

This is general information, not legal advice. See the rules for landlord utility charges for more detail.

Our renter and condo guide explains who can choose an energy company.

Our basement suite guide explains how to split power and gas.

Our sub-metering guide explains your rights when your landlord bills you by a meter.

Questions to ask before signing

Before signing, ask which bills you pay and get the answers in the lease. The UCA says the agreement should name who pays. The Government of Alberta says tenants can know the sub-meter bill formula. Ask about fees and deposits too, so you can compare the whole cost.

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.