Short answer: as of August 20, 2026, competitive electricity rates in Alberta run roughly 5 to 9 cents per kilowatt-hour depending on whether you take a variable or fixed rate. Get Energy’s variable rate averaged 5.31¢/kWh over the last 30 days and our one-year fixed rate is 6.57¢/kWh. The default Rate of Last Resort, which applies if you have never signed a contract, is 12.01 to 12.06¢/kWh.
Energy rates on this page are updated daily from our live rate sheet. Wholesale figures are pulled from AESO. Last updated August 20, 2026.
What Albertans are actually paying right now
| Rate type | Rate (August 20, 2026) | What it means |
| Variable (floating) | 5.31¢/kWh — 30-day average, calculated August 17, 2026 | Tracks the wholesale market each month. Lowest right now, but it moves. |
| 13-month variable average | 5.78¢/kWh | A fairer picture of what variable actually cost over a full year. |
| 1-year fixed | 6.57¢/kWh | Locked for 12 months. Certainty, at a small premium to today’s variable. |
| 2-year fixed | 7.97¢/kWh | Longer certainty costs more. |
| 3-year fixed | 8.87¢/kWh | Longest term, highest rate. |
| Rate of Last Resort (default) | 12.01–12.06¢/kWh | Set by the AUC and fixed from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026. This is the fallback, not a deal. |
The Get Energy rates above are our Advantage (discounted) rates and include the applicable transaction fee structure described below. The Rate of Last Resort figures come from the Utilities Consumer Advocate.
Why the wholesale price matters to your rate
Every competitive rate in Alberta is ultimately priced off the AESO wholesale pool price. Over the 30 days ending August 19, 2026, the Alberta pool price averaged $37.86 per MWh, which works out to about 3.79¢/kWh before any retailer costs. The median hour was cheaper still at $23.79/MWh, and there were 35 hours at or near zero.
That gap between the average and the median is the whole story of Alberta’s market: most hours are very cheap, and a handful of tight hours carry the average. In the same 30-day window, the single highest hour settled at $967.02/MWh. Thirty hours cleared above $100/MWh. When you buy a fixed rate, you are paying a premium to have someone else absorb those hours.
Energy rate is not the same as your bill
The cents-per-kilowatt-hour number is only the energy portion of your bill. An Alberta electricity bill also carries:
- Transmission and distribution charges — set by the AUC and charged by your wires company (ATCO Electric, FortisAlberta, EPCOR or ENMAX, depending on your address). These are identical no matter which retailer you use.
- A retailer administration fee — ours is $9.97 per month. This one varies widely between retailers and is the number most people forget to compare.
- A transaction fee on energy — 0.70¢/kWh on electricity in our Advantage structure.
- Local access fees, riders and GST.
Because delivery charges are fixed by regulation and identical across retailers, the only two things you can actually shop are the energy rate and the administration fee. A retailer advertising a low headline rate with a high monthly fee can easily cost more than a slightly higher rate with a low fee.
How to work out your own cost
Take your monthly consumption in kilowatt-hours from any recent bill. A typical Alberta home uses somewhere around 600 kWh a month, though electric heat, air conditioning, a hot tub or an EV will push that considerably higher.
Monthly energy cost = kWh × rate in dollars. At 600 kWh: 5.31¢ variable is about $31.86 in energy; 6.57¢ fixed is about $39.42; the Rate of Last Resort at 12.02¢ is about $72.12. Add the administration fee and your delivery charges to each. The spread between the default rate and a competitive rate on a typical home is meaningful money over a year, and it is the single easiest utility saving available in this province.
Is now a good time to lock in?
Honest answer: it depends on your tolerance, not on a forecast anyone can guarantee. Variable is currently below every fixed term on offer, and has been for most of the last year — the 13-month variable average of 5.78¢/kWh is still under the one-year fixed rate of 6.57¢/kWh. That has not always been true, and Alberta’s market has produced painful winters. Fixed makes sense if a bad month would genuinely hurt your budget; variable has been the cheaper bet recently for households that can absorb volatility.
We go through the trade-off in detail on fixed vs variable electricity rates in Alberta.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electricity rate in Alberta in 2026?
Competitive rates are running about 5 to 9 cents per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, depending on term. Get Energy’s variable rate averaged 5.31¢/kWh over the 30 days to August 17, 2026, and the one-year fixed rate is 6.57¢/kWh. The default Rate of Last Resort is 12.01 to 12.06¢/kWh.
Why is my electricity bill so much higher than the rate suggests?
Because the energy rate is only part of the bill. Transmission and distribution charges, the retailer administration fee, local access fees, riders and GST are all added on top, and delivery charges alone are often close to half of a typical residential bill.
Is the Rate of Last Resort a good rate?
It is a safety net, not a competitive offer. At 12.01 to 12.06¢/kWh it currently sits well above competitive fixed and variable rates in Alberta.
Do all Alberta retailers charge the same delivery charges?
Yes. Delivery charges are set by the Alberta Utilities Commission for your wires company and do not change when you switch retailers. Only the energy rate and the retailer’s own fees change.
How often does the variable rate change?
Monthly. It is calculated from a rolling average of the AESO wholesale pool price, so it reflects real market conditions rather than a forecast.
Sources
- Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) — hourly pool price and demand data, retrieved August 20, 2026.
- Utilities Consumer Advocate — Default rates — Rate of Last Resort, 12.01–12.06¢/kWh, fixed to December 31, 2026.
- Alberta Utilities Commission — Current electricity rates — distribution and transmission rate decisions.
- Get Energy live rate sheet — competitive rates quoted above.
Get Energy is a competitive retailer offering electricity and natural gas services for residential, small business, and farm consumers across Alberta. Get Energy is a tradename of Utility Network & Partners Inc.
Prices move week to week. Our Alberta Energy Market Report tracks wholesale power prices, the natural gas reference price and retail rate movement every Monday.
Shopping on price? Cheapest electricity rates in Alberta shows how to compare the full energy charge — fees included — against the Rate of Last Resort.
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