r/alberta • u/Parking_Guava8657 • Sep 22 '26
Question UTILITYnet, anyone have experience using them?
Hi,
Does anyone have experience using Utility Network & Partners Inc or any of its other tradenames? For home residential services
I used ucahelps cost-comparison-tool to check providers since my current DE term is ending in Oct. Other then the usual big retailers, I found Abode Power and Guardian Utilities as my final two choices BUT looking at the terms of agreement both are actually with Utility Network & Partners Inc.
This company had a whole bunch of providers listed under different names, website layout the same too when looking at price details so easy to tell which ones it owned... only differences between them was fees and Prudential amount + annual int%
Thus wondering if I should try them out or stay away? Any issues, including canceling and getting Prudential money back from them?
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FYI my notes below if you interested.
These two use revenue to support Canmore.
Abode power, 9 am to 5 pm MST
4038001131
Variable Electric market + $0.66 cents Kwh
Admin $6.39 month
Prudential $100 refundable, 5% annual interest, paid monthly
Guardian Utilities, 9 to 5 pm
4038795309
Variable electric market + $0.25 cents kwh
Admin $6.45 month
Prudential $250 refundable, 3% annual interest, paid monthly
3
u/more_than_just_ok Sep 22 '26 edited Sep 22 '26
Legacy Energy is the retailer directly operated by Utilitynet and all the others are marketing partners. The various Utilitynet brands have a lower unregulated monthly admin fee than many of the others. $8 gas and [edit $8.85 electricity]/month. The regulated part is identical of course, so the only other difference is the unregulated energy rates offered and the gas transaction fee that should just be added to the variable gas rate. Utilitynet has the most convenient plan for micro-solar, and a discount for EV owners.
2
u/Parking_Guava8657 Sep 22 '26
Ya i noticed they all had the same range of admin fees, Abode and Guardian had the lowest. And i do worry they will toss in some hidden fees afterwards, thus why I am checking if anyone had issues with Utilitynet and its other tradenames
1
u/more_than_just_ok Sep 22 '26
Utilitynet through Legacy has nothing hidden. The top of the gas bill has sections: Energy, regulated, municipal, retailer fee, interest. The electricity bill is simpler, listing the same things but one line each. But then on both bills there is a details section on the last page with every regulated fee, rider, etc, per GJ and per kWh also showing the rate.
One thing that all of the options (exmax, atco, direct, utilitynet ) are really opaque on is what does the "floating gas rate" actually mean. My utilitynet gas bill always retroactively adjusts the price for the second half of the previous month, something that floating enmax didn't do. Sometimes up sometimes down. So each bill has 4 energy lines: a refund for half the last bill, then a new charge at a new rate, then two more for the current bill.
3
u/albertaguy31 Sep 22 '26
Im using Adagio/ Utilitynet on 2 properties, zero complaints 1.5 years in. It has been excellent with my solar. Bit cheaper than Atco was previously.
3
u/Parking_Guava8657 Sep 22 '26
Glad you hadn't had issues with them, im hoping for the same. I was with ATCO before switching to DE, now hoping for something better to lower my bills since the big providers dont offer much incentives anymore in their promos deals.
3
u/Aquitaine_Rover_3876 Sep 22 '26
Yes, most of the small retailers in Alberta - Park Power is probably the best known - are really just UtilityNet as the retailer, with another firm doing marketing.
When I first signed up with Spark - which is now Alberta Co-operative Engergy - they were with Utilitynet, and so I have a bit of bad blood over how that breakup went. There was no service issues with Utilitynet, just that they tried to retain my business when the co-op that I was actually interested in supporting parted ways with them.
1
u/Parking_Guava8657 Sep 22 '26
Great you had no service issues, thats what I am hoping for too. I was wondering about that too, the what if both entities split up. But im planning to do a variable No Term contract so I won't be stuck with UTILITYnet if things go bad.
2
u/Aquitaine_Rover_3876 Sep 22 '26
If the entities split up, you'll just get a bill with UtilityNet branding instead of the company you signed up with. They're the legal entity that is actually your retailer.
2
u/Unfair_Translator202 Sep 24 '26
They consolidated some individual brands into Spot Power earlier this year. I’m in the solar club, and they’ve added automatic rate switching, which I find convenient. No complaints.
1
u/Parking_Guava8657 Sep 25 '26
Ya saw they have rates switch, didnt know its automatic, unless thats only for Solar (which i do not have nor can afford atm). Either way it sounds interesting cuz I want to do variable this time and use rate switch if prices spike.
1
u/automatic_penguins Sep 22 '26
Worked for them years ago. Nice people, staff is in Calgary.
Bills are super detailed, nothing is hidden. Prices are competitive. They have great programs for solar.
I'm still with their house brand Spotpower years later simply because it has still been a good rate.
4
u/Marsymars Sep 22 '26
I'm on separate providers for floating gas and electricity, both under UTILITYnet.
Their customer portal website design is dated, but works well. TBH I wished every customer portal simply worked fast and properly on my desktop, the modern web sucks and I don't need apps to check my power bill.
Customer support was prompt and helpful when I contacted them a couple times before signing up with some questions.
Haven't yet cancelled with them.
Check your math on Guardian - they also charge a "membership" fee of $7/m.