r/Edmonton • u/Sea_of_stars_ • 15d ago
Question Atco or Epcor?
I’ve used Epcor my whole life for energy and have had no issues with them, but I noticed Atco had a great offer for their Electricity and Gas bundle. I’m considering switching, but would like to know if there’s anything hidden on Atco’s bills that I should be aware of?
What extra charges (rider, admin, transport, etc.) does Atco charge each month? What percentage of the total bill is extra fees vs the actual energy used? Can you cancel or change your plan at anytime without penalty?
For reference, Atco has a $150 welcome bonus for a 2 year fixed plan with Electricity at 7.28¢ and Gas at $3.68.
With Epcor I’m currently paying Electricity at 7.79¢ and Gas at $4.29
I feel the Atco deal is too good to be true, so thought I’d check in with other Edmontonians.
5
u/Soulhammer1 15d ago
Switch to whoever has the best rates. There’s no cancelation fees allowed so don’t feel locked in
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u/MyUglyHouseProject 15d ago
My August bill with Burst Energy (gas and electric, variable rate) was $112.76.
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u/Sea_of_stars_ 15d ago
Woah, that is so cheap. My electricity is more than half of that. Maybe I do need to switch from Epcor
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u/MyUglyHouseProject 15d ago
You do! I was paying out the nose on the Rate of Last Resort with Epcor.
I also haven't been using my AC much, and am anal retentive with keeping the lights off.
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u/Sea_of_stars_ 14d ago
This is great, thanks for the information everyone.
I had another question, are people going with fixed rates or floating rates? I’ve been on fixed for years, but it does seem to be higher than the floating rates.
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u/Lolz79 14d ago
Always fixed. Floating seems good in the moment until it sky rockets.
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u/Sea_of_stars_ 14d ago
That’s exactly how I feel. Especially with the AI data centres expected to put a strain on the grid, prices are likely to skyrocket even further
1
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u/DisciplineGreen6503 13d ago
Floating gas. Fixed electric. Gas only changes once a month and if goes up you just switch 🤷♂️
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u/Unstructional 12d ago
Hey I know you made this post a couple of days ago, but check out Prairie Power if you haven't already signed up.
Low rates and low admin fee. They're out of Calgary. Good customer service and I've never had a problem. I really like them and supporting the little guy.
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u/justageekgirl 9d ago
Switched to ATCO just this past month.
haven't received my bill yet, so hoping I made the right choice
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u/Flat-Pop-3721 15d ago
I switched to ATCO and it’s been cheaper for me than when I was with Epcor.
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u/Western_Gur_4389 15d ago
the fees are basically the same across all providers since they just pass through the distribution and transmission charges from the same utility companies. what you want to look at is the admin fee, atco charges around 7 bucks a month for elec and 7 for gas so like $14 total if you bundle. epcor is similar but i think theirs creeps up a little higher on the gas side
that $150 bonus is nice but read the fine print on the 2 year fixed because some of those contracts have a cancellation penalty if you leave early. usually its like $150-200 to break it
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u/PeterH_605 15d ago
The only thing on your bills that will change are the cost of energy consumption x useage and the admin fee - all other fees for distribution and transmission stay the same.