Navigating Consumer Choices for Utilities in Alberta

When it comes to utility shopping, I feel overwhelmed. Where to start? As a responsible energy consumer, I know that my choices matter. That's why our family upgraded the insulation in our home, and installed a more efficient furnace, water heater, and refrigerator. That's why we use new CFL (compact fluorescent) light bulbs. It should be easy to shop for a retailer of green energy, right?

The list of competitive Alberta energy retailers on http://ucahelps.alberta.ca/retailers.aspx is certainly impressive. Depending on where you live in the province, you probably only have one choice for a regulated energy retailer, but there are 32 competitive energy retailers to potentially choose from!

If price were your highest priority, there is a nifty cost comparison tool... just dig out a recent bill, enter your site ID from the top of the report, enter your electrical consumption by month and kilowatt hours (kWh) and your gas consumption by month and gigajoules (GJ). You will get a series of lists of how much each competitive retailer would currently charge you for the same amount of usage by plan. See a price you like, just click the button to connect with that company!

Problem is, the retailers are listed alphabetically, and you have to keep clicking more to see all of them. (Big advantage for the one that starts with an "A", right?) The prices are all pretty close anyway, and price isn't the most important issue for us. We want clean, green, sustainable, good-for-our-future-economy, non-life-harming energy.

Many retailers offer at least one green energy plan, but just how green is each one? That's where the real research would begin, and you would have to visit each retailer's website to begin to understand how their energy is sourced. Is it wind, hydro, solar? Is the technology efficient? Do they get their natural gas by fracking? If so, what measures have been taken to protect groundwater? What measures have been taken to prevent birds and bats from being killed by wind turbines?

For consumers that own small businesses and farms, the most important issues may revolve around the potential for disruptions or problems with service. Young livestock may need to be kept warm, fed, and watered on a schedule. Modern farms have complex electronic management systems. Breweries must maintain conditions to rather exact specifications. How reliable each utility service is may be the biggest priority for some.

This is where tracking of customer service reviews and complaints could be really useful. Issues of price aside, which utility provider best serves which type of customer? Are there any hidden fees, such as hook-up costs, for rural customers? How many customers regret switching, and how hard is it to switch again?

The above are some of the reasons that I used the tools, studied the potential choices, but have yet to budge from my current choice, which is the default (Enmax). So far so good, and my conscience feels good about the current green energy plan, right?

Maybe.