Alberta Natural Gas
Rebate Program Information
Announced March 1, 2023 the Natural Gas Rebate program is now a permanent "feature" program from the Government of Alberta.
The program began October 1, 2022 with all consumers
connected to the natural gas distribution system and paying a bill directly to a natural gas retailer with less than 2,500 gigajoules (GJ)
of annual natural gas consumption would be eligible for government-provided rebates. No application will be necessary to receive the rebates so long as you are connected to the natural gas distribution system. It was originally set to expire to March 31, 2023 however with the release of the 2023 Provincial Budget it was announced that the program would now be permanent with no changes made to the original program structure.
Under this rebate program, if the monthly default natural gas
rate from the regulated utility providers (ATCO Gas North,
ATCO Gas South and Apex Utilities) goes above $6.50 per GJ, the government will provide rebates to all consumers covering the difference between $6.50 and the regulated rate, on a consumption basis.
For example, if any of the regulated rates go to $7.50 per GJ for the month of November, then all consumers would receive a rebate on their bill covering $1 for every GJ used during the month
of November.
Since the implementation of the program the rebate has not been triggered (see table below), meaning Apex and/or Atco/Direct Energy's rates did not exceed $6.50. As of the announcement on March 1st Natural Gas prices had reduced significantly with projections showing natural gas is not expected to reach prices nearing $6.50 for the next three years (approx. 2026). So it's not expected consumer will see a rebate in the near future.
If triggered rebates will appear directly on eligible bills – on both regulated and competitive plans like fixed rate contracts. The rebate amount will appear on your bill as “GOA Utility Commodity Rebate.”
Date | Apex Utilities | DERS/ATCO |
|---|---|---|
Mar-2023 | $2.85 | $2.22 |
Feb-2023 | $3.18 | $3.72 |
Jan-2023 | $6.41 | $6.45 |
Dec-2022 | $6.17 | $6.14 |
Nov-2022 | $5.37 | $5.64 |
Oct-2022 | $5.63 | $4.52 |
KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:
- A rebate is only triggered if ATCO Gas North, ATCO Gas South and Apex Utilities/DER pricing
goes above $6.50 per GJ,
- Iron Creek Gas Co-op's gas pricing has no effect on the trigger or rebate amount
- User sites that use over 2500 GJs are NOT eligible for the rebate per the Alberta Government
- Rebates will be applied directly to your bill under “GOA Utility Commodity Rebate.”
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.
If you believe you meet the eligibility criteria, but did not get a rebate on your bill, contact the Utilities Consumer Advocate at 310-4822 or email UCAhelps@gov.ab.ca for support.