“It is a step forward for the province and will bring real relief to Albertans while we do the long-term work needed for a brighter and better future”
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The Alberta government tabled Wednesday legislation to allow for electricity and natural gas rebates but it will be months before Albertans may see any of that extra cash in their pockets.
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If passed, Bill 18, the Utility Commodity Rebate Act, will replace legislation that does not currently allow for rebates on electricity bills and it also makes regulatory changes needed to implement the natural gas rebate, both of which have been promised by the government.
While the legislation has been tabled by Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity Dale Nally, details on how and when each of those rebates will happen are still largely unknown and will be part of regulations that will be written once the bill passes.
“Bill 18 aims to lighten the financial burden that families, farms and small businesses have recently had to face,” he said.
“It is a step forward for the province and will bring real relief to Albertans while we do the long-term work needed for a brighter and better future.”
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electricity rebates
Albertans have been promised three monthly $50 rebates for a total of $150 to help compensate for the higher cost of electricity experienced in January, February and March. Eligible consumers include all residential, farm, and small business customers who consume less than 250 megawatt-hours per year.
At a press conference Wednesday, Nally said he hoped those rebates will show up on power bills starting in the summer. Details of the program still have to be worked out and will be part of regulations yet to be completed.
“The power rebate will be largely dependent on how long it takes the utility retailers to be able to adjust the billing systems,” Nally said.
“We are encouraging retailers to get this onto people’s bills as soon as possible. I’m hopeful that that will be June and for some retailers it may go into July, but we’re asking them to help us turn this around as quickly as possible.”
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natural gas rebates
Albertans will also have to wait for regulations to find out more details of the promised natural gas rebate including how much the rebate will be and how it will roll out.
The government originally promised rebates will kick in if regulated natural gas rates exceed $6.50 per gigajoule between October 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 but both premier Jason Kenney and Finance Minister Travis Toews have hinted that it could be brought in sooner now that prices have already hit that point.
Alberta spot prices for natural gas closed at $7.52 per gigajoule on Tuesday, down from higher levels to start the week.
Nally said the government is monitoring the situation but that he can’t provide more details around the timeline.
“Until we land on those regulations I can’t provide more clarity. But as soon as we complete those regulations we’ll be able to answer those questions for you.”
The government estimates that the electricity rebate will benefit more than 1.9 million families.
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