The Regulated Rate Option (RRO) for Calgary, which applies to all households and small businesses that have not chosen to enter into an energy plan with a retail supplier, will be 9.32 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), effective January 1, 2007.  A number of other changes to the charges contained within the bill also take effect in January.  The net effect of these changes is that the bill for a typical Calgary household (using 625 kWh per month) will rise by 0.8 percent to $90.33.

New provincial regulations introduced in July 2006 mean the RRO will fluctuate monthly rather than quarterly or yearly as it has in the past. Prices change with the energy market, depending on changing weather, seasonal consumption demands and fuel costs such as natural gas prices.  A new price for the RRO will be announced each month as these variations are incorporated in the price.

The monthly RRO price is determined by a combination of long and short term prices in Alberta’s wholesale electricity market, in a process which is approved by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.

This change in regulation increases the importance of consumers examining their own energy cost control choices.

What is a Regulated Rate Option (RRO)?
The RRO is the default option when no choice is made by a consumer. The owner of the local distribution system is required by legislation to provide the RRO to eligible customers (residential and small commercial customers who consume less than 250,000 kWh of electricity each year) in their service area. ENMAX Power is the local distribution company in Calgary. Anyone who has not chosen to enter into an energy plan with a retail supplier receives the RRO by default.

What can customers do?
ENMAX Power, through its RRO provider, is the company responsible for providing the RRO in Calgary and fully supports the competitive market for electricity and consumers' rights to choose their own energy plan.

Customers have options regarding their energy bill.  They are:

• Choose to do nothing and receive the default RRO, which may fluctuate each month.
  
• Choose an energy plan that can offer control over energy costs and fixed prices over longer terms.  Information on these is available at www.ucahelps.gov.ab.ca, or call 310 4822.

ENMAX Power Corporation, a subsidiary of ENMAX Corporation, and its predecessors have provided Albertans with safe and reliable electricity for more than 100 years. One of the most reliable urban utilities in Canada, ENMAX Power owns, operates and maintains the distribution and much of transmission network in and around Calgary. Most of ENMAX Power’s activities are regulated by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. The non-regulated subsidiaries managed by ENMAX Power provide engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance for the electrical servicing of residential and commercial developments and LRT (light rail transit) systems as well as fiber optic networks for high speed data and internet communications. For more information, visit our website at enmaxpower.com.