An auto shop’s energy bill rarely looks like its energy use. Compressors,
hoists, welders and a big heated bay create short, sharp peaks, and Alberta delivery tariffs bill
those peaks hard. A shop can consume modestly all month and still pay a delivery charge that dwarfs
its energy charge.
We supply and broker electricity and natural gas for repair shops, body shops, welding shops and
trades across Alberta, and the free Energy Cost Audit reviews the demand and power factor side, not
just the rate.
Where the energy actually goes
| Load | What it means for the bill |
|---|---|
| Air compressors | Often the single largest electrical load, and one of the worst offenders for power factor when oversized or lightly loaded. |
| Welders and hoists | Intermittent, high-current draw. Exactly the profile demand charges are designed to capture. |
| Bay heating (gas) | Overhead or unit heaters fighting an open bay door in January. The dominant winter gas load, and the reason a shop’s gas contract matters. |
| Compressed air leaks | The classic invisible cost. A leaking system runs the compressor far more than the work requires, all year. |
| Lighting | Long hours, high bay. Worth doing once, then it stops being a topic. |
Where the money usually is
Billing demand
If your peak is set by everything starting at 8 AM, staggering start-up costs nothing and can reduce the billed figure. Ratchet provisions make one bad interval expensive for months.
Power factor
Motors and welders are exactly the loads that pull power factor down. Where demand is billed in kVA, correction pays back on a schedule you can calculate.
Your gas contract
Bay heating makes gas a serious line item for eight months of the year, and it is usually the contract nobody has looked at.
Rate class
Shops that grew, added bays or took over a neighbouring unit frequently sit in a class set for a smaller operation.
Worth checking on your own bill
- Is there a kW or kVA demand line on your bill, and is it a large share of the total?
- Does your billed demand fall in quiet months, or does it stay flat (a sign of a ratchet)?
- Is a power factor figure or low power factor adjustment shown?
- Are electricity and gas both on chosen contracts, with known end dates?
- Has the rate class been reviewed since the shop last changed size or equipment?
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
Why is my auto shop’s delivery charge higher than the energy charge?
Because delivery is partly billed on peak demand rather than total consumption. Compressors, welders and hoists create short high-current peaks, so a shop with modest monthly consumption can still carry a large demand charge.
Can staggering equipment start-up actually reduce the bill?
Often yes. Where demand is set by a single 15-minute peak, sequencing large equipment instead of starting it together lowers the measured peak at no cost.
Do auto shops in Alberta need a natural gas contract too?
Most do. Bay heating is a large seasonal gas load, and gas accounts are frequently left on a default or auto-renewed rate while attention goes to electricity.
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 published small business rates: variable electricity 7.06¢/kWh (30-day average, calculated September 8, 2026), fixed 1-year 6.57¢/kWh, variable natural gas $3.71/GJ (calculated September 5, 2026), administration fee $9.97 per site per month. Sites above 250,000 kWh or 2,500 GJ a year are quoted on their own profile. Last updated September 12, 2026.
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.