More line items can mean more transparency and at times confusion.

If you’re new to Alberta, one of the first things you’ll notice is that your energy bill will have a lot more detail related to fees and other charges. This is because when the Alberta electricity market deregulated, billing became the responsibility of private companies and not governments.

So customers could clearly see where their payments were going, each fee and charge, in addition to the energy consumed was outlined on the bill. This level of visibility has helped make people aware of exactly what they’re paying for, but also has led to misunderstandings.

Take for example distribution fees. These are listed on your bill, and they are collected from all consumers in Alberta, and these fees are approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC). This money supports network upgrades, repairs and maintenance to the wires that carry electricity within Calgary and other municipalities.

Transmission fees are similar, except they help support upgrades, repairs and maintenance to the wires that carry electricity around Alberta.

In other provinces, electricity customers pay these fees, but they’re often included as part of municipal or provincial taxes and are affected by department budgets.