Short answer: in Alberta, nobody calls it “hydro.” We call it electricity or power — and unlike BC, Ontario, Manitoba or Quebec, you get to choose the company that sells it to you.
If you have just moved to Alberta from another province, you have probably already caught yourself asking who to call “to set up the hydro.” It is one of the most common things newcomers say, and it is a completely reasonable question — it just does not map onto how Alberta works. This page explains the vocabulary, the structure of the market, and exactly what you need to do in your first week here.
Why other provinces say “hydro” and Alberta does not
In most of Canada, electricity has historically come from large hydroelectric dams owned by a provincial Crown corporation. The utility’s name became the everyday word for the service:
- British Columbia — BC Hydro, a provincial Crown corporation whose rates are reviewed by the BC Utilities Commission.
- Ontario — Hydro One and the local “hydro” utilities, with prices set by the Ontario Energy Board.
- Manitoba — Manitoba Hydro. Quebec — Hydro-Québec.
Alberta’s electricity was never built on dams. Our grid grew up on coal and now runs mostly on natural gas, with a fast-growing share of wind and solar. Hydro is a small piece here: hydro assets supplied about 2% of Alberta’s generation in 2025, while wind, solar and hydro together made up 21% of provincial generation that year (Alberta Electric System Operator and Market Surveillance Administrator, 2025 reporting). So the word never stuck. Say “hydro” at an Alberta hardware store and people will assume you mean a dam.
The part that actually matters: Alberta has retailer choice
Alberta’s electricity and natural gas markets are deregulated. That means the system is split into two roles, and only one of them is your choice:
| Your wires company (distributor) | Owns the poles, wires and pipes, reads your meter and restores power after a storm. Assigned by geography — ATCO, FortisAlberta, EPCOR or ENMAX depending on where you live. You cannot choose this and you do not need to. |
| Your retailer | Buys the energy and bills you for it. This one is yours to pick, and you can switch it without anyone touching your meter or interrupting your service. |
This is the piece that surprises people from BC and Manitoba most, because in those provinces there is no equivalent choice at all. Our guide to energy retailers versus distributors breaks the split down further, and how Alberta’s deregulated market works covers the mechanics.
If you do nothing, you are put on the default rate
New Albertans who never sign up with a retailer are placed on the province’s default rate. As of January 1, 2025 that default is called the Rate of Last Resort (RoLR), which replaced the older Regulated Rate Option. It is set through a regulatory process and is scheduled to remain in place until the end of 2026.
The name is the point: it is the fallback, not a reward for loyalty. It is what you get by default, and it moves on a schedule you do not control. Choosing a plan is how you decide whether you want a fixed price you can budget around or a floating price that follows the market. Our explainer on fixed versus variable rates walks through which suits which household, and this article covers the default rate itself.
Natural gas is a separate thing here too
Roughly two-thirds of Alberta homes heat with natural gas, and gas has its own retailer choice, its own rate and its own line on the market. If you are coming from a province where heating was electric or came bundled into one utility, budget for a real winter gas bill from October through March. See residential natural gas and how natural gas pricing works in Alberta.
What your Alberta bill looks like
Newcomers often expect one number and find a page of them. An Alberta energy bill has two broad halves:
- Energy charges — the electricity or gas you actually used, priced by your retailer. This is the part competition affects.
- Delivery, transmission, riders and fees — set through regulated tariffs and passed through by every retailer alike. No retailer can discount these.
Anyone promising to cut your whole bill is glossing over that second half. Reading your Alberta electricity bill and what transmission and distribution charges are go line by line.
Your first week in Alberta: the short checklist
- Find out who your wires company is — it is determined by your address, not by you.
- Pick a retailer for electricity, and one for natural gas if your home has gas. It can be the same company.
- Have your new address, move-in date and previous address ready. Enrolment usually takes effect within a billing cycle; you are never left in the dark while it processes.
- Decide fixed or floating before your first full winter, not after it.
- Sort out internet at the same time — see Get WiFi. Note that energy and internet are billed separately; what you get is one local company and one team to call, not one invoice.
Where Get Energy fits
Get Energy is a competitive retailer serving Alberta homes, small businesses and farms — electricity, natural gas, green energy credits, solar and internet. We are based in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo with support in Calgary, so you are talking to Albertans about Alberta bills. No contracts and no cancellation fees, which matters when you are new here and still figuring out your usage.
Compare our current rates, read how switching works, or sign up online. If you would rather just ask a human: (780) 665-4771 or info@getenergy.ca.
Moving to a specific city? We have local pages for Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a “hydro company” in Alberta?
Not in the sense other provinces mean. There is no Alberta Hydro and no Crown power utility. Electricity here is sold by competing retailers and delivered by a regulated wires company assigned to your address.
What do Albertans call the hydro bill?
The electricity bill, the power bill, or just the utility bill. Natural gas is billed as gas, separately.
Does Alberta have hydroelectric power at all?
Yes, but a small amount. Alberta’s largest hydro plants are Brazeau (355 MW) and Bighorn (120 MW), both on river systems west of Edmonton. Hydro assets supplied roughly 2% of provincial generation in 2025.
Do I have to sign up with a retailer, or does power just come on?
You need an account with someone. If you do not choose a retailer, you are placed on the default Rate of Last Resort, which is the fallback rate rather than the best-value option.
Will switching retailers interrupt my power?
No. Switching is an administrative change to who bills you. The same wires deliver the same electricity, and nobody visits your meter.
Get Energy is a tradename of Utility Network & Partners Inc.
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