ENMAX EasyMax vs. Direct Energy Alberta: Which Should You Choose?
ENMAX and Direct Energy Alberta are the two largest competitive energy retailers in Alberta. We compare their various power and gas offers to help you find the option that is right for you.
A word about our methodology:
Please note that all prices listed below are only for the cost of energy supply and administration costs, and do not take into account the costs of energy distribution, transmission or taxes. Total energy costs will be greater than what is listed. Also note that ENMAX's prices vary slightly by location. For references purposes, the prices displayed below are for Calgary.
About ENMAX and Direct Energy Alberta
ENMAX is Calgary-based and the largest competitive energy retailer in Alberta. Note that while ENMAX also offers regulated rate electricity for customers in Calgary, Cardston, Crowsnest Pass, Fort Macleod, Ponoka, and Red Deer, in this article we will only compare ENMAX's competitive retail activities. ENMAX's primary offer is its EasyMax product, which includes both fixed and floating prices for electricity and gas, plus the option to switch between rates (maximum one price type switch per month).
Direct Energy is one of the largest competitive energy retailers in North America, and is based in Houston, Texas. It offers several fixed rate contracts for electricity, as well as fixed and floating prices for natural gas. It also has a sister company, Direct Energy Regulated Services, that sells regulated rate electricity and gas to customers within the ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric service territories.
 |
 |
|---|---|
|
|
ENMAX vs Direct Energy: Customer Service
Ways to get in touch:
Of the two retailers, Direct Energy offers longer customer service hours (open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), which some customers might find more convenient. However, for customers who prefer to communicate via social media, ENMAX appears to be more responsive towards Alberta customers. ENMAX is regularly active on Facebook, and appears to be responsive towards customer enquiries, whereas Direct Energy's Facebook page does not appear to be updated as often. Direct Energy appears to use one Twitter account for its commercial activities in North America, which means that much of its communication is directed towards American customers, and relatively little towards Albertan customers.
Customer Reviews
Both ENMAX and Direct Energy - like all larger competitive energy retailers in Alberta - have both positive and negative reviews about them posted online. As of April 2015, both companies had A+ ratings on the Better Business Bureau, and were responsive towards claims brought to them. Find out more about the customer experience with ENMAX and Direct Energy in our dedicated articles.
ENMAX vs Direct Energy: Compare electricity offers
ENMAX's EasyMax product includes both a fixed (7.79 ¢/kWh) electricity rate and a floating rate option, whereas Direct Energy Alberta offers only fixed rate options for electricity. The two companies also charge different administration fees: Direct Energy charges $9 per site ($4.50 per site when part of a dual fuel plan), while ENMAX charges 23.7¢/day for electricity (about $7.10 per month). The tables below detail the prices you could expect to pay per month and per year based on 8000 kWh yearly consumption, not including distribution & transmission charges, or taxes.
Electricity Offers
| One or Two Year Fixed Electricity Plan | |
|---|---|
| Electricity Rate | 6.49 ¢/kWh |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $9.00 |
| Annual Costs | |
| Annual Cost (for 7200 kWh) | $467.28 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $108 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $575.28 |
| Three Year Fixed Electricity Plan | |
| Electricity Rate | 6.99 ¢/kWh |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $9.00 |
| Annual Cost (for 7200 kWh) | $503.28 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $108 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $611.28 |
EasyMax Power Only
| EasyMax Three-Year Fixed Rate | |
|---|---|
| Electricity Rate | 6.79 ¢/kWh |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $7.10 |
| Annual Cost (for 7200 kWh) | $488.88 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $85.20 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $574.08 |
| EasyMax Five-Year Fixed Rate | |
| Electricity Rate | 6.99 ¢/kWh |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $7.10 |
| Annual Cost (for 7200 kWh) | $503.28 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $85.20 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $588.48 |
| EasyMax Floating Rate | |
| Electricity Rate | Floating rate + 1 ¢/kWh |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $7.10 |
| Annual Cost* (for 7200 kWh) | $491.04 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $85.20 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $576.24 |
*Annual cost based on historical February 2014 - January 2015 prices for the city of Calgary (6.82 ¢/kWc). Keep in mind that historical prices have no impact on future prices. Rates vary slightly by region (usually by no more than 0.1 ¢/kWh)
Our Take
Unsure of whether to choose a fixed or floating power price? Check out our analysis of the pros and cons of both.
Based on prices, ENMAX's EasyMax is the clear winner with its floating rate option that worked out to being about $75 cheaper over 2014/2015 than the next cheapest fixed-rate option. Direct Energy's 2-year fixed rate works out to being slightly cheaper than ENMAX's EasyMax fixed rate, but customers who consume less than 8000 kWh per year should be aware that the administration charge will become a larger factor in their bill; for a customer who consumes only 1000 kWh per year, Direct Energy's 2 year offer becomes $20 more expensive than ENMAX, because of Direct Energy's administration charges.
For customers who are looking for a long-term (three years or more) fixed-rate contract we recommend ENMAX's EasyMax rate, which is guaranteed for up to five years. Customers on EasyMax can also switch to paying the floating rate if they notice market prices dropping.
ENMAX vs Direct Energy: Compare gas offers
Direct Energy Alberta has both fixed and floating rates for natural gas and charges a $9.00 per site ($4.50 for dual fuel) administration fee. Direct Energy's fixed rates are for two years only. Customers who wish to purchase a longer-term contract can purchase the Three Year Floating Plan, which is the only competitive natural gas plan to offer a winter price cap of $5.99/GJ. Direct Energy does not offer any longer term fixed rate plans for natural gas (find out why we don't recommend choosing a fixed rate gas plan over the long term).
ENMAX's EasyMax has one fixed rate option and one floating price, and charges about $7.10 per month in administration fees. Customers have the option of switching between floating and fixed rates whenever they wish (maximum one switch per month). EasyMax contracts are for a maximum of five years.
Offers
| One Year Fixed Gas Plan | |
|---|---|
| Gas Rate | $5.49/GJ |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $9.00 |
| Annual Costs (12 x monthly costs) | |
| Annual Cost (for 120 GJ) | $658.80 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $108 |
| Total Annual Cost (Gas Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $766.80 |
| Two Year Fixed Gas Plan | |
| Gas Rate | $5.59/GJ |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $9.00 |
| Annual Costs | |
| Annual Cost (for 120 GJ) | $670.80 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $108 |
| Total Annual Cost (Gas Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $778.80 |
| Three Year Floating Gas Price Plan | |
| Monthly Rate | Flow-Through Price plus $2.00/GJ (winter price cap at $5.99) |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $9.00 |
| Annual Costs | |
| Average Annual Cost for 120 GJ* | $699.60 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $108 |
| Total Annual Cost (Gas Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $807.60 |
*Prices based on average annual 2014/15 price of $5.83/GJ (March 2014 - February 2015). Please note that these are historical prices and do not impact future prices
EasyMax Gas Only
| Monthly Prices | |
|---|---|
| Gas Rate | $4.99 |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $7.10 |
| Annual Costs | |
| Annual Cost (for 140 GJ) | $598.80 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $85.20 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Administration Fees) | $684.00 |
| EasyMax Gas Only - Floating Price | |
| Gas Rate | Variable price + 99¢ per GJ |
| Monthly Administration Fee | $7.10 |
| Annual Costs | |
| Annual Cost* (for 120 GJ) | $626.40 |
| Annual Cost of Monthly Administration Fee | $85.20 |
| Total Annual Cost (Electricity Cost + Monthly Administration Fee) | $711.60 |
*Annual cost based on historical February 2014 - January 2015 natural gas rates for the city of Calgary, which were an average of $5.22/GJ (including transaction fee). Rates vary slightly by region (usually by no more than 1 ¢/GJ )
Our Take
Once again, ENMAX appears to offer the best rates with their $4.99 fixed rate, and their floating rate, which comes with a lower transaction fee than Direct Energy (99 ¢/GJ, compared to $2/GJ charged by Direct Energy). While Direct Energy may be the only company to offer a winter price cap, its $2.00/GJ transaction fee means that its historical prices have not been far from this $5.99 price cap, which is the same as the fixed rate offered by ENMAX. This also means that the floating rate offered by Direct Energy has worked out to being more expensive than its shorter-term fixed rates. Direct Energy's higher administration fees are also a factor in why its offers are often more expensive than those proposed by ENMAX. This is also something to take into account if you consume less than 140 GJ per year, as the administration fee will take up a larger proportion of your bill.
Even though historical rates have averaged over $4.99/GJ, we still recommend choosing a floating rate for your natural gas, particularly with the fall in oil prices during the summer of 2015
ENMAX vs Direct Energy: Which Should You Choose?
In general, as both electricity and gas prices have recently been quite low and are not expected to rise rapidly in the near future, we recommend choosing a floating rate over a fixed one.
For both electricity and gas, ENMAX's floating EasyMax rates appear to offer the best deal (though their fixed natural gas rate is the lowest currently offered by all energy retailers in Alberta). ENMAX's lower administration charges make it generally a more attractive option to Direct Energy, particularly for customers who don't consume a great deal of energy. The monthly administration charge becomes a more important factor than the energy rate for small energy customers
It is for this reason, however, that dual fuel customers might want to consider Direct Energy, whose dual fuel plans offer a 50% reduction on administration charges ($4.50 per site, instead of $9 for single fuel). We recommend Direct Energy's Comfort & Control Plan for dual fuel, which proposes the same rates as other large energy retailers, but with lower administration fees and some extra rewards. Find out more about the Direct Energy Comfort & Control Dual Fuel Plan.
Still not sure? Before making your final decision about your energy supplier, you might want to compare customer reviews for Direct Energy and ENMAX.
Still Unsure?
Check out some of our handy information about energy price options and choosing your supplier:
Fixed or Floating Electricity Prices?
Fixed or Floating Gas Prices?
Choosing an Energy Retailer: Top Tips
Comparing Energy Retailers