EPCOR Utilities Inc.
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Understanding The Regulated Rate Option Services
As a retailer and wires company in Alberta, EPCOR buys energy from the competitive wholesale market and delivers it to your home or business. Albertans can choose between a competitive energy retailer with a fixed or floating rate, or the regulated rate, which reflects the current market price and can change month to month. The regulated rate is also called the Regulated Rate Option (RRO). In Edmonton, EPCOR provides the regulated services for electricity. If you sign up for the regulated rate, you will be on the EPCOR RRO. If you are an RRO customer, you may see the rate you pay for electricity change from month to month. This is because the RRO is based on the competitive market conditions in which electricity is purchased, so it can vary based on weather, supply and demand.
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For example, during the colder winter months or warmer summer months, when electricity demand can be higher, the market price of electricity can increase. This leads to a higher RRO and an increase on your electricity bill.
Based on a rate-setting plan approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission, we buy electricity four months in advance to help stabilize and potentially lower prices for our customers. The further out we`re able to purchase electricity, the less costly the electricity.
The RRO rate on your bill will change each month, and can increase, decrease, or stay the same based on market conditions such as supply and demand, and seasonal temperatures.
Electricity supply is affected by:
- Generation plants being down for maintenance
- Limitations in getting electricity from its source to consumers
Electricity demand is affected by:
- The number of consumers
- Changes in how much electricity is being used by each customer
You can reduce the impact of RRO rate changes by:
- Conserving energy where possible
- Signing up for an equalized payment plan
To be eligible for the RRO, you need to:
- Be a residential or farm and irrigation customer
- Be a small business or commercial operation that uses less than 250,000 kWh of electricity per year
- Be 16 years of age or older