An energy broker shops Alberta’s deregulated market on a business’s behalf, compares
retailer offers and handles the paperwork. Brokers are normally free to the business because the
retailer pays them. That model works, but it has a blind spot: a broker can only change the energy
half of your bill, and it is the smaller half. Get Energy works as a broker and as a retailer, and
reviews your delivery charges too.
Last updated September 12, 2026.
What an energy broker does
- Reviews your bills and usage to understand your load.
- Takes your requirements to multiple retailers and gathers offers.
- Compares the offers, including the terms that are not in the headline rate.
- Explains the options so you can choose.
- Handles enrolment and, in most cases, tracks your renewal date.
For a business without an energy specialist in-house, that is genuinely useful work. The market
is not hard to understand, but it is time-consuming to shop properly, and comparing offers fairly
takes more than lining up the cents per kWh.
How brokers are paid
Almost always by the retailer, as a margin built into the rate you sign, which is why the service
is presented as free. It is not a scandal — most of commercial insurance and mortgages work
the same way — but it is worth knowing two things: the fee exists inside your rate, and a
broker paid only on placement has no reason to tell you to stay where you are.
deal, and does it differ between the retailers you are showing me?” A straight answer is a good
sign.
Broker, consultant or retailer — what each one can actually do
| Broker | Consultant | Retailer | Get Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shops multiple retailers | Yes | Sometimes | No | Yes |
| Can supply your energy directly | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Reviews delivery & transmission charges | Rarely | Yes | No | Yes |
| Can help while you are under contract | Limited | Yes | No | Yes |
| Demand-side work (power factor, CHP, solar, efficiency) | No | Advice only | No | Part of the review |
Why being both changes the advice
A broker’s only product is a placement with someone else. A retailer’s only product is itself.
Both are structurally pointed at one answer before they see your bill.
We can go either way. If our own rate suits your load, we will supply you. If another retailer
prices your profile better, we will place you there. And if the honest answer is that your energy
rate is fine and the money is sitting in your delivery charges or your equipment, we can say so and
then actually do something about it — which is the part a broker has to hand off.
Do you even need a broker?
Sometimes not. You do not if your consumption is small, your usage is flat and you are happy to
spend an hour a year checking your rate against the market. You probably do if any of these are
true:
- You run multiple sites, or multiple meters on one site.
- Your load is seasonal or peaky, so the headline rate is not the whole story.
- You are on the Rate of Last Resort or an auto-renewed contract and do not know when your term
ends. - You have never looked at the delivery half of your bill.
- Your last contract was signed by whoever happened to call you that week.
Book a free Energy Cost Audit
Send us one recent electricity bill and one natural gas bill. We review both halves — the
energy you buy and the delivery charges you are billed to receive it — and come back with a
written summary of what we found and what, if anything, is worth changing. No cost, no obligation,
and no requirement to switch anything.
Upload your bills — free Energy Cost Audit
Prefer email? Send your bills to
info@getenergy.ca, or call
(780) 665-4771, Monday to Friday 9 AM–5 PM.
Common questions
Do I need an energy broker in Alberta?
Not necessarily. A broker earns their place when you have multiple sites, a seasonal or peaky
load, or no time to shop the market properly. For a small, flat load it is reasonable to compare
offers yourself once a year.
How much does an energy broker cost a business?
Usually nothing directly — the broker is paid by the retailer they place you with, as a
margin inside your rate. Ask how the fee is structured and whether it varies between the retailers
being shown to you.
Is a broker the same as a retailer?
No. A broker arranges supply from retailers but cannot supply you. A retailer supplies you but
sells only its own product. Get Energy does both.
Can a broker reduce my delivery charges?
Most cannot — brokers work on the supply side. Delivery charges need a separate review of
your rate classification, billing demand, riders and metering.
What should I ask before signing anything?
The all-in cost, the term and its end date, what happens automatically at renewal, the exit terms,
and how the person advising you is paid.
More for Alberta businesses
- Business energy in Alberta — the overview
- The Energy Cost Audit — what we review and what you get
- Distribution and transmission charges on a business bill
- Small business electricity rates in Alberta
- Commercial natural gas in Alberta
- Do you need an energy broker in Alberta?
Energy prices move every week. Our Alberta
Energy Market Report tracks wholesale power prices, the natural gas reference price and retail
rate movement every Monday.
Get Energy is an Alberta competitive retailer and energy broker serving
residential, small business, farm and commercial consumers. Get Energy is a tradename of Utility
Network & Partners Inc.