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Alberta homeowners feel pinch of high commodity prices as utility bills spike

Experts say natural gas and electricity rates in Alberta have swung to near record highs
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Alberta’s provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Surging commodity prices and other factors like the phaseout of cheap coal are pushing utility bills in Alberta to shocking heights.

Homeowners who haven’t locked into fixed contracts for their natural gas and electricity are reporting huge increases in their bills this winter.

The Consumers’ Coalition of Alberta says they’ve heard from people whose home heating costs have doubled or even tripled year-over-year.

Experts say natural gas and electricity rates in Alberta have swung to near record highs after seven years of depressed prices related to the oil and gas downturn.

The price of natural gas in November 2021 was $4.57 per gigajoule, up 77.1 per cent from November 2020.

The closure of cheap coal-fired power plants, which used to be Alberta’s main source of electricity, is also putting pressure on bills.

The Canadian Press

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