Gas, electric, wind energy rates set for October

The City of Medicine Hat has set its October energy commodity rates.

Natural Gas – all customers

The October natural gas default rate is **$0.7624 **per gigajoule (GJ), down from the previous month of $0.8352 per GJ.
On Nov. 20, 2023, City Council passed bylaw 4798 that amends the gas utility bylaw in order to provide consumers with a single natural gas rate starting Jan. 1, 2024. The rate is based on the weighted average cost of the City’s natural gas purchases for the month of consumption, plus $0.07/GJ to recover transactional costs and a small rate of return.

Electricity

Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting

On Oct. 16, 2023, City Council passed an amendment to the Electric Utility Bylaw 2244 to establish a single best-of-market electricity rate for Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting customers, not to exceed a maximum of 11 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) or go below a minimum rate of seven cents per kWh. The rate is based on a twelve-month, volume weighted forecast as per the ICE-NGX wholesale electricity energy market and will be recalculated on the first business day of January, April, July, and October.
The October best of market rate is $0.04820 per kWh which, under the bylaw, defaults to the minimum $0.07000 per kWh for Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting customers.  
On December 15, 2022, the Government of Alberta passed The Regulated Rate Option Stability Act through Bill 2: Inflation Relief Statutes Amendment Act which placed a temporary price ceiling of $0.13500 per kilowatt hour in January, February and March 2023 for Albertans who purchase power on the Regulated Rate Option (RRO). As of April 1, 2023, the cost difference between the RRO electricity rate from January to March 2023 and the temporary price ceiling will be added to the current default rate to recover costs until December 2024.
The October recovery rate of $0.01065 per kWh will be added to the current default rate of $0.07000 per kWh for a total billable rate of $0.08065 per kWh, up from the previous month of $0.07952 per kWh for September. For more details about the recovery rate, visit medicinehat.ca/EnergyPlans.
October 2024 (per kilowatt hour)Rate per kWhDefault City of Medicine Hat electricity rate$0.07000+ City of Medicine Hat recovery rate+ $0.01065City of Medicine Hat billed rate$0.08065  

Large Commercial, Industrial and Street Lighting Customers

The October default electricity rate for Large Commercial, Industrial and Street Lighting customers is $0.07062 per kilowatt hour. The rate is based on the average of the rates for owners whose regulated rate tariffs are approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission under section 103(2) of the Electric Utilities Act for that calendar month as posted by the Alberta Utilities Commission on its internet page under Regulated Rate Option Regulation.
October 2024 (per kilowatt hour)Rate per kWhDirect Energy Regulated Services$0.07052ENMAX Energy Corporation$0.06853EPCOR Energy Alberta GP (Edmonton)$0.07249EPCOR Energy Alberta GP (outside Edmonton)$0.07093City of Medicine Hat default rate for LC&I (based on the average)$0.07062

Going Green Charge

Customers also have a “Going Green” surcharge on their bill. This surcharge is for renewable energy purchased for residential, farm, small and medium commercial customers.
The Going Green surcharge is calculated monthly to recover costs incurred to purchase renewable energy.
The Going Green surcharge for October is $0.0035 per kilowatt hour.