Why are Utilities 3x more in Alberta?

 

Moving to Alberta was a dream of mine for a long time. Being close to the mountains, lower taxes, better weather and a longer golfing season, what is not to love? 

Well, it turns out the grass isn't always greener, is it? One of the first things I did in Alberta was get signed up for utilities and "locked in" my rates to what I was paying Manitoba Hydro, back in Manitoba. What a shock when the bill came in. Turns out in Alberta, you buy the power, but you also pay a ton of fees on top of it. Local access fees, transport fees, rider fees, fees for this, that and everything in between. In the time I have been here, I determined my gas and electricity are 3x more than I pay in Manitoba. My $9 gas usage and $25 of electricity is suddenly a $160 bill?

How is it, that this rich province, with all its gas and oil, makes us pay more for lighting and heating our homes than Manitoba? Manitoba gets their gas from Alberta! 

Well, it turns out that it is simply a matter of Alberta politicians selling their citizens to corporations. You see, the province of Alberta could run a utility like Manitoba, keep utilities low (just above cost) for its citizens, but no. Alberta can't have government running anything, they need to hand off things like this to private companies who can crank up rates and trap everyone into paying as much as they can squeeze out of them. 

I am not for "big government", but there are things the government can and SHOULD manage. Heating and electricity for its citizens is one of them. Also auto insurance. If you are going to mandate car insurance, the government should be the one providing the car insurance, not hold people hostage to private insurance companies with no regulation. 

It is time the people of Alberta be put first.