Enmax fixed vs. floating rates...

[Fuzz]

I have a dehumidifier running right now, and it's a dollar a day.

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by timun

Spoiler!

What the hell- I just checked my bill. I have:

$52.15 as a distribution charge
$38.75 as a transmission charge

This because I live in Chestermere?

[timun]

*facepalm*

Your transmission and distribution charges are based on 1) how many days your bill was for, and 2) how many kilowatt-hours of electricity you used.

You pay these charges to Fortis, because Fortis is the electricity distribution company that services the Chestermere area. I.e. they maintain the power lines, the poles, transformers, etc. that physically connect your house to the electric grid.

Fortis charges residential customers a $0.048476/kWh transmission charge, plus $0.031933/kWh and $0.986752/day for distribution charges.

Based on your $38.75 transmission charge your usage was presumably 799 kWh? And if that's the case, $25.51 of your $52.15 distribution charge would have been from that energy usage, leaving $26.64 worth of daily charge at $0.986752/day, which works out to 27 days on your bill...?

These transmission and distribution charges are regulated by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC). The distribution company has to make an application to the AUC to have the charges approved, justifying why they need to be whatever they happen to need to be to cover their costs and earn them a (relatively modest) profit margin.

Enmax's charges in Calgary, by comparison, are $0.041392/kWh for transmission, and $0.015362/kWh and $0.763730/day for distribution, for residential customers. If you lived in Calgary your charges would have been $33.07 for transmission, and $32.89 for distribution.

[Cortez]

Thanks for the detailed response timun. It's nice to learn something I clearly have no idea about.
Could do without the facepalm signaling I'm an idiot, but hey- wouldn't be work-day if someone didn't call me an idiot

[Old Yeller]

FYI, the 5 year fixed electricity plan rates for Enmax customers just went down.

I was over 11 cents a kwh last night and switched to 10.29.

[Huntingwhale]

I was all excited when I saw the lower rate, only to see that I already had an 8,49 fixed rate...yay?

Switched the gas to floating rate though, as I was locked in at 4.79 but it's been lower than that most of the past year.

[Calgary14]

Rep earlier this morning said floating rate is 7 cents, can you switch back and forth from fixed to floating?

[Benched]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

Rep earlier this morning said floating rate is 7 cents, can you switch back and forth from fixed to floating?

Yes. Once a month you can switch.

[Zary's-Mustache]

I only see the floating gas rate on the enmax site for April and before, is there anywhere where it is more up to date?

[Mathgod]

I know this thread is for electricity bills, but geez louise...

Always love paying $100 for $9 of gas.

Spoiler!

Even without the carbon tax, it's over $70 for $9 of gas.

Any suggestions on what we can do about this (other than cancel everything and have no heat)? This doesn't seem reasonable.

[calgarygeologist]

Damn, I didn't realize that the carbon tax in Alberta is almost 400% now.

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

I know this thread is for electricity bills, but geez louise...

Always love paying $100 for $9 of gas.

Spoiler!

Even without the carbon tax, it's over $70 for $9 of gas.

Any suggestions on what we can do about this (other than cancel everything and have no heat)? This doesn't seem reasonable.

Not much, you are paying for massive transmission and distribution infrastructure to enable you to get your $9 of gas, or $100 of gas, whichever one. It’s one of the few businesses in the world where you see this broken down for you. If you buy a $50,000 car how much raw materials is actually in that car? Couple grand maybe, heck maybe it’s even $10k. Why does the car cost that much. The factories, the transportation, the selling costs, etc, etc, and yes profit on top of that.

[Fuzz]

Yup, "I want to only pay for the gas I use".

"OK, how would you like it delivered?"

"Uh, truck?"

"OK, and do you want a monthly delivery? Do you have a storage tank?"

"err, no?"

"Ok, so you want just in time delivery, for that you will need a pipe, and a way to meter it, and bill it, which comes with their own costs for which you will be billed for your share."

"Oh crud".

[#-3]

Mathgod If it makes you feel better, that's a hell of a rate on gas. I think the market rate right now is 2-3x that.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by #-3

Mathgod If it makes you feel better, that's a hell of a rate on gas. I think the market rate right now is 2-3x that.

Isn't that just the floating rate for gas? I don't have a recent bill yet like he does but up to May 18, on floating rate, my cost was $1.28/GJ.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Isn't that just the floating rate for gas? I don't have a recent bill yet like he does but up to May 18, on floating rate, my cost was $1.28/GJ.

I didn't look at my bill, I'm floating too, but I quickly googled fix rate and it's $4.3. I do know my bill was around $110, so not really far of his, and I guess given that only 10% of the cost is the actual commodity, it makes sense regardless of your rate we should all be in that range.

[stampsx2]

Anyone know why electricity and gas rates seem to be dropping? I’m thinking of switching from my really good 6.79c rate for electricity.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Anyone know why electricity and gas rates seem to be dropping? I’m thinking of switching from my really good 6.79c rate for electricity.

Cascade coming online has put downward pressure on the pool price. Not as much economic withholding right now.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Yup, "I want to only pay for the gas I use".

"OK, how would you like it delivered?"

"Uh, truck?"

"OK, and do you want a monthly delivery? Do you have a storage tank?"

"err, no?"

"Ok, so you want just in time delivery, for that you will need a pipe, and a way to meter it, and bill it, which comes with their own costs for which you will be billed for your share."

"Oh crud".

I get your point, there are expenses involved, but $9 of gas costing $70 before tax (and apparently even more for a lot of people) screams corporate greed.

[timun]

Would you feel better about it if gas was priced at $8.15/GJ instead?