Anyone else on Direct Energy for Electricity? Check your bill

[jstubbs]

I’m not as opposed to the carbon tax as most but after we here in Edmonton had the coldest February in 40 years, it’d sure be nice if they culled the c-tax on natural gas for that month. It’s insane to be taxed this hard just to stay warm when it’s -20 or colder every day for weeks on end.

[Ken07AOVette]

DIRECT ENERGY telemarketers have called me 3 times in 3 days. I have told them the same thing each time, I am already dealing with them, and I am switching to ATCO.
They always say 'rates?'
I say yes.
They hang up.

What a great strategy to keep clients!

[Ken07AOVette]

I just called DE to cancel, went through the bill.

They are charging me 13.3c/kWh and I used 969kWh for this billing period.

They said if I go on 24 month no risk contract they will drop the charge to 3.99c/kWh which will drop the price per month by $90.00 if I use the same amount of power.

I will try it for a year or until I get a better offer.

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I just called DE to cancel, went through the bill.

They are charging me 13.3c/kWh and I used 969kWh for this billing period.

They said if I go on 24 month no risk contract they will drop the charge to 3.99c/kWh which will drop the price per month by $90.00 if I use the same amount of power.

I will try it for a year or until I get a better offer.

So you weren't on a regulated rate option? The gov't controls what they are allowed to charge if you aren't on a contract with anyone.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

So you weren't on a regulated rate option? The gov't controls what they are allowed to charge if you aren't on a contract with anyone.

I was in a contract with DE. They had not yet dropped from 13.3c to 6.8c Settled at 3.99c

Honestly my own fault for not checking the per kWh price. He heard about it lol

[rusty99]

So back in early 2018 I switched to Atco for both my natural gas and electricity on a promo deal. Recently my promo ended and I decided to go on a variable rate plan for both.

Well the variable rate seemed like a great idea as cost of gas per gigajoule was less than the locking in a fixed rate.

My own fault I don't keep tabs on the rates... combined with a very cold winter, more consumption and a rate spike my Jan 22-Feb 20th bill just for natural gas was $281

Dec 23 - Dec 29 = $2.62/GJ
Dec 29 - Dec 31 = $2.42/GJ
Dec 31 - Jan 22 = $2.64/GJ
Jan 22 - Jan 31 = $2.90/GJ
Jan 31 - Feb 20 = $3.81/GJ

My home St.Albert home was built in early 1980's and has the original windows but recently put in a brand new boiler system.

Feeling under the gun today while talking to Atco - I locked my rates in for 5yrs with the freedom to change at anytime without penalty. You can lock in 1yr, 3yr or 5yr for the same rates.

5yrs Gas at $3.69/GJ
5yrs Electricity at $5.99/KwHr

Feeling really bummed about paying at total of $503.55 for my Gas & Electricity for Jan 22 - Feb 20th on a variable rate. Grrrrrrrrr the fee's alone are insane.

Anyone found better rates or plans? I am open to suggestions.

[waldedw]

I'm on a fixed rate until May of 2021 with Direct Energy, electricity is 5.89 and gas is 3.59 but realistically that's the small portion of your bill, the actual amount gas and power that you use account for less that 30% of your billing over the course of a year, the access fees, meter fees, riders, transmission charges, administration, carbon tax and gst etc. is where the money is made and those costs are never fixed, that's where they get you in the end, and they are all the same no matter who supplies your energy, bend over rover

[The Cook]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

It is money that I am forced to pay to the government, therefore it is a tax. Just like EI and CPP are taxes.



So do you have any evidence to suggest that it helps? And if "the majority of families get it all back" how is there going to be anything left to "help" with?

ARG

Sorry Gopher, CPP is not a tax, it's kinda like an investment in your retirement. I took mine at age 63 and collect $11,400.00. If I continue breathing for a few more years I'll be ahead of the game. Oh and by the way the 11 grand comes in real handy.

[bat119]

Question do we pay carbon tax just on the gas/electricity used or all the other charges as well. I'm on the Sask. side bracing for my first bill

[Big Grey Wolf]

Stubbs hit the key point. We are a very large cold country so need to consume massive amount of natural gas, diesel and gas relative to most warmer countries. Our carbon foot print needs to be very high just to survive and move goods such as food around Canada.

[Jack Hardin]

Originally Posted by coreya3212

It is a carbon levy, not a tax. I think that’s why they can charge GST on it as well. It’s really not that much money to pay if it combats man made climate change and the majority of families get it all back from the government anyway.

We don't get any back.

[ORV]

Originally Posted by Jack Hardin

We don't get any back.

x2

[leeelmer]

I don't get any back either. Not sure who these majority of Families are that get it back. But we are a one income family and we get exactly zero back from the carbon tax.
Wondering where the family income threshold is?
Anyone know?

[FCLightning]

Looks like about 103,000 for a couple with no children.