Folks, electric, gas, and water is inexpensive. It’s the taxes, fees, and ‘charges’ that are often more expensive than the actual bill.
Utility companies still have to make money to pay staff and overheads and facing gradual less use of elec, nat gas and water, thru slower flowing water fixtures, low flow toilets (that don’t work), low flow showers (that you have to stand under 4x as long to get half as wet, low flow taps (takes twice as long to wash your hands or you age a year filling a pasta pot).
More “efficient” washing machines and dishwashers (just not efficient at cleaning), fridges (that hold less because of thicker doors/walls meaning you have to get a second freezer in the garage).
It’s only the CCFL and LED bulbs that have really hit the utility companies bottom line. They can’t increase the unit cost to compensate because of government tutting, so they just increase the fees instead.
I pay 16 cents for a kWh and about and gas is about $6 for a GJ (delivery + commodity). I don't think that it's more expensive in Alberta. Might be due that my house is new (first owner, triple glazed windows, spray foam insulation and all that stuff) and that we really try to save as much as possible (for example I don't heat my garage above 10 degrees in winter).
Folks, electric, gas, and water is inexpensive. It’s the taxes, fees, and ‘charges’ that are often more expensive than the actual bill.
Utility companies still have to make money to pay staff and overheads and facing gradual less use of elec, nat gas and water, thru slower flowing water fixtures, low flow toilets (that don’t work), low flow showers (that you have to stand under 4x as long to get half as wet, low flow taps (takes twice as long to wash your hands or you age a year filling a pasta pot).
More “efficient” washing machines and dishwashers (just not efficient at cleaning), fridges (that hold less because of thicker doors/walls meaning you have to get a second freezer in the garage).
It’s only the CCFL and LED bulbs that have really hit the utility companies bottom line. They can’t increase the unit cost to compensate because of government tutting, so they just increase the fees instead.
I pay 16 cents for a kWh and about and gas is about $6 for a GJ (delivery + commodity). I don't think that it's more expensive in Alberta. Might be due that my house is new (first owner, triple glazed windows, spray foam insulation and all that stuff) and that we really try to save as much as possible (for example I don't heat my garage above 10 degrees in winter).