Letter to Premier Danielle Smith
An open letter to the Premier about making affordability in Alberta’s Energy Market a priority for all Albertans. In this letter we make recommendations on simple action steps that the Premier and her affordability minister Nathan Neudorf can implement quickly to help ease the burden of energy costs to all consumers in our province.
AFFORDABLE ENERGY MATTERS
Two-thirds of consumers in Alberta have already moved off of the Government’s Regulated Rate Option (RRO) and signed up with a competitive retailer. They have been able to lower their electricity bill. For 73 consecutive months, Community Energy Marketers in our network have offered consumers lower rates than the government-regulated rate (RRO) provided by ENMAX, EPCOR, and Direct Energy.
Expert Insights
Into Alberta Energy
We have coordinated with industry experts to shine a light on the complicated history of Alberta’s Energy Deregulation, and the impacts that legislation and market changes have on affordability and stability in Energy Markets. They explore the current state of our market, and look forward to the next phase of the Energy market in our province.
It’s time to have your say and tell the Government to keep their promise to Albertans
LISTENING TO CONSUMERS
Consumers have been complaining for a long time about high electricity rates and all the extra add-on fees, which are often greater than the cost of energy consumed.
It has been on the radar of past governments for a long time, but little was done to solve the problem.
Premier Danielle Smith has tasked Minister Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, to find solutions and focus on lower utility rates. In our opinion, he cannot do it alone. He will fail if he doesn’t ask the right questions – or if vested-interest lobbyists overly influence him.
Over the next six months, in a series of upcoming opinion letters on deregulation, we’ll shed light on some areas highlighting outdated design flaws of deregulation that need to change.
Our primary objective is to offer insights into the market, highlight red tape reduction opportunities, and the impact of failed past government policies, which could bring down energy rates for all Albertans.
LOCAL UTILITY RETAILERS
Many consumers in Alberta do not realize the wide range of choices when selecting their energy provider. Because of this, the big utility companies tend to be the default providers. But, they do not necessarily offer the best rates or services. In 2008, UTILITYnet became disillusioned with our municipal utility. Over the last 15 years, we invested significantly in creating a different business model, including building a regional network of 32 local community utility retailers. They offer Albertans the opportunity to save money and passionately champion local charitable endeavors by donating a percentage of their profits to worthwhile causes: the essence of what “LOCAL” truly represents.