Retail energy costs are predictable, which is exactly why they get ignored.
Lighting and HVAC run on a fixed schedule, the bill arrives every month at roughly the same number,
and nobody revisits the contract for years. For multi-site retailers and strip mall owners, that
inertia is usually the most expensive thing in the file.
We supply and broker electricity and natural gas for retail across Alberta, and we review the
delivery side, the rate class and the renewal calendar as part of the free Energy Cost Audit.
Where the energy actually goes
| Load | What it means for the bill |
|---|---|
| Lighting | Long, fixed hours. High share of a typical store’s electricity, and the load most responsive to a one-time upgrade. |
| HVAC | Rooftop units running to a schedule. Gas heating in winter, electric cooling in summer. |
| Refrigeration (grocery and convenience) | Changes the picture entirely — continuous motor load, higher consumption and a power factor question. |
| Common areas (strip malls) | House meters for parking lot lighting, corridors and signage. Often the least-reviewed account on the property. |
| Signage and exterior | Small load, long hours, frequently left on timers nobody has adjusted since installation. |
Where the money usually is
Multi-site consolidation
Chains routinely carry a different retailer, rate and end date at every location. One calendar and one negotiation replaces a dozen accidental decisions.
House meters
Landlord-paid common area accounts are quietly expensive and rarely shopped, because no tenant is complaining about them.
Rate class and metering
Units that were subdivided, merged or re-purposed often carry metering and a rate class set for a different tenant.
Recovery and CAM
If you recover energy through common area maintenance charges, what you pay and what you recover are two different reviews. Both are worth doing.
Worth checking on your own bill
- Do all your locations share one retailer, one plan type and one renewal date?
- Who pays the house meters, and when were they last reviewed?
- Is any site still on the Rate of Last Resort?
- Does the rate class match the unit’s current use after any subdivision or fit-out?
- Are exterior lighting and signage on schedules that still make sense?
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
Can a retail chain put all its Alberta locations on one energy contract?
Usually yes. Multiple sites can be consolidated under one retailer with a common term and renewal date, which simplifies budgeting and removes the accidental spread of rates that builds up over time.
Who pays for strip mall common area energy?
Typically the landlord through house meters, often recovered from tenants via common area maintenance charges. These accounts are frequently the least reviewed on a property.
Is energy worth reviewing for a small retail store?
Yes, though the gain is usually in the contract and the delivery-side classification rather than in equipment. A store on a default rate with an outdated rate class is overpaying on both halves of the bill.
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.